


Weird Girl Energy

by ReadingIsFundamental



Series: Adele in Twisted Wonderland [2]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon X OC - Freeform, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Friendship, Humor, Multi, OC X CANON, Original Female Character - Freeform, Pining, Reverse Harem, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25275241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadingIsFundamental/pseuds/ReadingIsFundamental
Summary: Adelaide, or Adele, is a strange girl. She wanders around campus in a dreamlike state, fulfilling all Crowley asks of her while keeping up with homework and friends. These are some drabbles of her interactions with those around her. Adele claims she has no magic, but what is it she’s doing to the school’s inhabitants if not some kind of sorcery?
Relationships: Ace Trappola & Original Character(s), Azul Ashengrotto & Original Character(s), Cater Diamond/Original Character(s), Deuce Spade/Original Character(s), Epel Felmier & Original Character(s), Floyd Leech & Original Character(s), Idia Shroud & Original Character(s), Jack Howl/Original Character(s), Jade Leech & Original Character(s), Jamil Viper/Original Character(s), Kalim Al-Asim & Original Character(s), Leona Kingscholar & Original Character(s), Lilia Vanrouge/Original Character(s), Malleus Draconia & Original Character(s), Riddle Rosehearts & Original Character(s), Rook Hunt/Original Character(s), Ruggie Bucchi/Original Character(s), Sebek Zigvolt/Original Character(s), Silver (Twisted Wonderland)/Original Character(s), Trey Clover & Original Character(s), Vil Schoenheit/Original Character(s)
Series: Adele in Twisted Wonderland [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100327
Comments: 45
Kudos: 304





	1. A Rose By Any Other Name

The night swelled, the stars hanging low and plenty in the inky likeness the moon commandeered from the sun. Adele thought briefly how absurd it was to imagine the sun and moon engaged in battle. The image playing in her weary mind brought a dreamy smile to her face as she meandered through the rows of tombstones on the lawn of Ramshackle.

Adele had slipped quietly out from under her blankets, careful not to wake the snoring monster that slept near her head on his own pillow, like she had almost every night since first arriving in Twisted Wonderland. Ace and Deuce both commented on dark bags under her eyes, the latter choosing to be kind and the former choosing to be Ace. However, despite her newfound friends’ worries, insomnia was something of an old friend to the girl, a single constant in her increasingly confusing life. Despite running around and tiring herself out practicing magic shift with Grim, the ceaseless reflections of the weeks gone by rid her of any chance of falling asleep before the sun decided to stage its own coupe against the moon and retake its throne, so she did as she would every night and she paced.

However, unlike every other night, tonight fireflies flitted to and fro, dancing on the strings of a silent melody. Adele stepped towards the new addition to her _garden_ , the bottom of her nightgown brushed the tips of the gravestones and the light cotton fabric caught on the grass around her bare feet. Under the moon’s caring gaze, Adele lifted a hand to sway with the newcomers. She spoke lightly, just above a whisper, “I guess even fireflies like to play when it gets cold out.”

“Who goes there?” A deep timbre called from behind the veil of night. Slowly Adele stopped her dance to look around. It didn’t take long for her gaze to settle on the stranger two headstones away.

Standing taller than any person she had seen in her life was a striking young man. His eyes practically glowed in the darkness and when he moved towards her under the moonbeams it became very apparent, despite the lack of light, that on the top of his head, rooted deep in his hairline were two thick, black horns twisting towards the stars. He was ethereal. Adele found herself entranced.

“I am the supervisor for this dorm.” With one hand, she motioned in the air around her. “Are these fireflies your friends?”

Malleus Draconia didn’t quite know what to say, but found words leaving his lips before he could stop them. “A child of man, how curious.”

And it truly was. To find a young female among the student of an all-boys college was something he didn’t expect on his nightly foray through the, normally silent, school grounds. There had been times when students would sneak girls in from other academies for a bit of young fun, but Malleus had never known one to remain. _She must be the one from the orientation ceremony_ , he thought, mentally sneering at the memory of his _lost_ invitation. Lilia had spoke with great enthusiasm of the goings-on of the event, sparing no detail, which had only soured Malleus’s mood further.

“My name is Adelaide. You may call me Adele,” she spoke softly, he noted, not out of fear, but as if she were stuck in a waking dreamlike state. Much to his wonder, Adele turned to admire the fireflies buzzing around her once again, “it’s nice to meet you and your friends.”

“Adelaide,” he said. Her name tasted strange on his tongue and sounded foreign to his ears; not altogether unpleasant, but different. A healthy mixture of surprise and amusement colored his features when he realized her words, “You do not know who I am?”

Silence fell upon them and for a time, Malleus wondered if she had fallen asleep with her eyes open until painfully slowly, she tore her eyes away from the lights bumbling about to lock eyes with him. “I don’t, but I’m sure I’d like to.” Her gaze travelled upward to look at the moon. “My grandmother always said that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet.”

Her words tickled him, causing a wide, self-deprecating smile to fall into place as he chuckled darkly. The sound had her eyes on him once more. Something akin to fear settled on her face as he spoke, “That sentiment has the potential to be dangerous for one so small.”

Adele felt a chill run down her spine at the display of his very prominent fangs. The notion that every being within a five mile radius could kill her without batting an eye didn’t escape her, however she hadn’t met anyone, who was in their right mind –overblotting was circumstantial here—who had the drive to harm her. Perhaps tonight was the night, she thought briefly, but when she met his gaze once more, she could only see pain.

“Maybe,” she found her voice, “but I’ve found everyone here to be quite pleasant. Would you tell me your name?”

“I am…” Malleus paused, his own name burning on the tip of his tongue. “No, perhaps I should stop here.” A sardonic smile spread on his face, the saturnine state of self-deprecation an easy one to slip into. “Not hearing my name would be better for you.”

“How so?” She asked.

“If you knew who I was, it would surely fill you with fear. Let us have you remain ignorant, and for your own sake feel free to call me what you like.” He replied cryptically.

“That is far too much power for me,” she said nonchalantly trying to get one of the fireflies to land on her outstretched fingers. No matter how hard she tried, they simply danced around the appendages.

“How so?” Malleus used her words, earning him a small smile. Adele stopped trying to capture the bugs around her and simply looked at him.

“You said it yourself; your name strikes fear into the hearts of men. A name is a powerful thing to throw away,” said Adele.

“Very wisely spoken, child of man.”

“Then again, what we call a rose, by any other name, would smell just as sweet,” she mused, “A name can only hold power if it means something to us.” Adele offered with another smile. “Food for thought.”

A gentle breeze swayed the large tree by the gate and kicked up the skirt of her nightgown. She shivered and for the first time that night, Malleus took in the way she was dressed. Her night dress was made of some thin cotton material with a fitted bodice high above her natural waistline, leaving her shapeless. Her long, dark hair was plaited down her back, but the wind had tossed the braid over her shoulder in its trek across the yard. She looked like an impressionist painting, dappled by the moonlight’s patient brushstrokes. And something in that moment changed for him.

Malleus Draconia felt heard. Something about this human, about Adele, reached into his being and dipped its fingers into the domesticated stillness he had in place. Her happenstance interference this night tore through his cool countenance and spread warmth. Her voice pulled him from his awestruck reverie.

“It’s getting colder,” she said absentmindedly as a yawn toyed at her lips. “Would you like to come inside for some tea before you go back to your dorm?”

Malleus would be lying if he said he was familiar with the feelings swirling in his aged heart. That same warmth spread from the tips of his ears and the beginnings of affection were mistaken for the fog of tender curiosity. “I fear I’ve lingered far too long as is respectful this time of night.”

Her gaze bore holes in his person, digging deep under his skin in an all too familiar way. The common human folk always stared. Malleus was loathe to remember the feeling eyes following his every movement, the chilling fear he felt pouring from their beings twisted the ever-present knife in his gut and reminded him why he was kept away from the palace in The Valley of Thorns. 

“I will see you around school, then?”

Malleus froze for the briefest moment yet despite the hope bubbling within, he remembered himself. Offering one last look he said, “Perhaps.”

Suddenly she was blinded by a swarm of fireflies and Malleus disappeared with a soft “pop”. The air hung low, crackling with lingering magic that caused the hair on her arms and the back of her neck to stand up on end. _The fireflies are gone_ , Adele thought with a cursory glance.

“Maybe if I wish on the first star I see tomorrow night, my Nightlight will come visit again.” She wondered aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! I know Adele won't be some people's cup of tea, but she's more or less an experiment for me to see if I can continue to write a spacey character with her dreamy writing and head in the clouds!


	2. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

The early morning sun rose sleepily across the grounds of Nights Raven College, the world still and quiet in that brief moment before all is woken. While Grim slept upstairs on their shared bed, Adele took it upon herself to continue cleaning. For days on end, while her cat-monster companion was taking magic lessons or napping somewhere, Adele ran around the house, stirring up dust and giving the resident ghosts a good show. The boards covering the windows were removed and the shutters thrust wide open, letting in the fresh autumn air. Adele tied the skirt of her dress between her legs to form makeshift pants as she padded around barefoot carrying buckets of water to scrub the floor free of dirt and grime.

The more Adele cleaned, the tighter the arms of Ramshackle wrapped around her and welcomed her home. The closer she got to normalcy in this foreign world, the more she sank into its comforting embrace. As she worked, thoughts of her own home filled her head and a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her not to get too comfortable, that she’d have to leave one day and never return.

The thought of leaving behind her new friends brought a nasty twinge to her gut and Adele paused mid stroke of her scrub brush. Despite the insomnia, Grim’s complaining by day and snoring by night, and the powerless feeling she had when something went wrong, Adele had grown to like Twisted Wonderland with all its shortcomings.

One night while sitting in bed, staring out the nearest window and stroking Grim’s back absentmindedly, the cat monster confessed, in his own particular way, that she was all he had. He claimed she was lucky that she was stranded in this world with none other than “The Great Grim” and that he couldn’t give two licks if she was here or not, but that she shouldn’t stray too far because then _she’d_ be all alone. Adele had simply smiled down at him, taken off his collar, and scratched the place he couldn’t reach, earning a strange purr-like noise from the monster. He always said things like that; that she was a powerless, silly human and that he didn’t need her around. There were some nights, however, that he would wake from his sleep in the middle of the night only to curl up against Adele’s body when he thought she was asleep, giving away his true feelings.

“Adele!” A familiar voice called. Adele’s gaze shifted to the open window, where Ace had peeked his head in.

“Why good morning, Ace!” She chimed. A lofty smile sat easily upon her lips. “It’s nice to see you. Though you do look kind of funny right now; like a head floating by on the breeze! What a curious image you’ve given me!” She giggled.

“I’ve been calling you for five minutes, space case, we got to meet up with Deuce in 20,” said Ace, ignoring whatever strange thing she was prattling on about now. He left the window for a brief moment and then reappeared as he opened the front door and let himself in. “Why do you always act surprised to see me, I come and get you every morning!” he admonished her with a roll of his eyes.

“Now that’s not true, Ace,” she replied as she got to her feet. Her joints creaked underneath her, protesting after lingering in one place for so long. She untied her skirts and smoothed them down her legs. “Sometimes Deuce or Jack comes along to walk with me.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Ace rolled his eyes once more and waved her off with his hand and finally took a look at her. His eyes traversed her bedraggled appearance and he sighed. “You’re not even in your uniform. Go on, go get ready!” He motioned towards the stairs and set his bag down in one fluid motion. Adele simply smiled at him and began her ascent. His eyes didn’t leave her form the entire time.

Irritation and affection mixed and mingled in his heart like a bittersweet cocktail. _You just think she’s pretty cause she’s the only girl around, dumbass._ Raking a hand through his flaming hair, he sighed again in frustration as he made his way to her kitchen out of habit. Somewhere above him he heard the shower start. His cheeks lit up as his mind wandered, taking the notion and running with it.

“Ugh, gross, stop being weird!” He muttered to himself as he entered the run-down kitchen. It really was a sad looking place. The cupboards were hanging off their hinges, exposing the empty, cobweb filled shelves within. The drawers were missing handles and the floor sunk in when you walked on certain places. Ace groaned again.

“She probably didn’t even eat breakfast. What an idiot.” He complained as he turned on the coffee pot and retrieved her thermos from the most stable-looking cupboard, taking a brief second to peer inside to make sure there was no dust before he got to work.

As the coffee brewed, Ace strolled across the kitchen to the pantry, where he found the shelves staring back at him to be mostly empty. He clicked his tongue out of annoyance and shut the door once more. “How does anyone even live here?”

He continued to mutter under his breath as he bounced around the kitchen, finally finding something edible cook. It took until about halfway through cracking the second egg for him to stop and realize what he was doing.

Incredulous, he shook his head. Just two months ago Ace was antagonizing her as she looked at the statues on Main Street, and now he was standing in her kitchen making sure she ate breakfast. The thought alone made his insides do flips. The sizzling from the pan reminded him of the task at hand and he briefly considering throwing all the prepared food down the disposal in the sink before anyone could find out what he was doing, but before he could act on it, he heard Adele’s footsteps come gracefully down the stairs.

“Oh, good morning, Deuce!” Adele had come down the stairs just as Deuce had entered through the front door. “Did we make you wait long?”

“G-good morning, Adelaide!” Deuce tripped over his words and even from the kitchen, Ace could tell that he was too loud. Deuce’s attraction to the girl was no secret and if he was trying to hide it then he was a REALLY bad actor. Deuce’s lovesick sighs and blushes whenever Adele brushed his skin or smiled at him weren’t lost on the redhead who was left to watch it happen. To Ace, it was just annoying.

Briefly he thought again how strange it would look that he was making breakfast for their resident weirdo, and, once again, he groaned to himself. He rolled his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning and decided to crack another egg into the pan for their third guest to make it look like he wasn’t doing anything strange.

“You and Ace were late, so I got, well, I was…that is to say-,”

“You were worried about us, huh, Juice!” Grim’s shrill tenor carried from the base of the stairs and Ace realized he had completely forgot about the little gremlin. With a sneer he elected to ignore him; he would not cook for an ungrateful little beast, he barely cooked for his _friends_. 

“That’s not my name!” Deuce replied hastily. “You guys are never late, so I wanted to make sure nothing happened…” he trailed off and sniffed the air, “Is someone cooking something?”

Adele closed her eyes and turned her own nose to the air as the scent of breakfast wafted past. “Maybe it’s the ghosts?” She hummed before locking arms with Deuce, jostling Grim who was balancing on her shoulder. “Why don’t we go find out?”

Ace had just finished throwing the fried eggs on toast as they trio arrived. “Get in here and eat before it gets cold!” He barked at them, “And you better eat fast cause Divus will put us in the kennel if we’re late again.”

“Oh Ace, it looks wonderful,” Adele perused the thrown-together breakfast with awe usually suited for the work of master chefs. A blush crawled up Ace’s neck and he averted his gaze. She was dressed in a regular male’s uniform with an old, gray vest under the jacket. Her lengthy curls were free to dry down her back, but out of familiarity, Ace knew it would be braided by the time lunch came around.

“Shut up and eat.” He mumbled his reply once he realized her was staring, pushing a plate towards her before picking up his own toast and taking a bite out of it.

“Thank you for thinking of me too, Ace, that’s very unusual for you-,” Deuce began.

“If you don’t shut up and eat, I’ll eat yours too, Juice.” Ace said with his mouth full.

“This is delicious, Ace, thank you!” Adele swallowed her first bite and then tore off a piece for Grim, who was about to complain about his own share.

“Duh, it’s good. I made it!” A smug smile slide on Ace’s features as pride overran the irritation and flustered air that had hung around him all morning. 

They finished their quick breakfast and headed straight for the door, Ace being sure to pick up the large thermos of coffee on the way out of the kitchen.

“You got everything? Your bag?” Ace asked, going over the checklist in his head. Though it was a little late this morning, this was their routine.

“Yep!” Adele replied, securing it over her shoulders as Ace moved to unzip it and slip the thermos inside.

“Your weird camera?” He asked as he zipped her bag back up.

“In my bag.” She giggled. It’s true that the camera the headmaster had given her was a bit strange, but she liked the pictures it took. With so much life inside each picture, it was as though they held the memories themselves. She hung each one up carefully around her room, although her collection was mostly of the Heartslabyul boys laughing together. Adele’s favorite was one of Riddle with the frosting from his cake dotting the tip of his nose, his eyes wide with almost childlike curiosity at the mess he made. Her heart constricted as the thought of having to leave them clouded her mind once more.

“Well then let’s get out of here!” Ace’s voice startled her away from the edge of succumbing to her own morose overthinking. She offered him a lopsided smile as she passed through the open door and into the chilly autumn air.

The trio made it all the way to Ramshackle’s gate before Adele’s eyes went wide. “I forgot something!”

“What is it?” Deuce jumped when she spoke.

When Adele took Grim from her shoulder and plunked him in his arms, Ace muttered a “hey!” and threw the cat monster on the ground. “I forgot to tell the ghosts goodbye!”

“Is now really the time?” Ace crossed his arms over his chest, but he sighed as he watched her make her way back up the path. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, spooking some crows out of the nearby tree, “Calling Captain Weirdo, we’re gonna be late!”

“She always does this.” Deuce sighed fondly and Ace shook his head.

“Ugh, I know.” Ace groaned, shifting between his left foot and right. He just wanted to get to class.

A companionable silence fell between the two boys as the wind picked up around them. Leaves twirled amongst themselves along the pavement and with a spin of his finger, Ace had his wind magic kick up a few more of the red and orange leaves, scattering them along the path. Grim, having landed on his feet when Ace dropped him, pawed at one of the leaves falling softly above him.

“Do you think she’ll miss us when she goes back to her world?” Deuce’s voice cuts through Ace’s fun and the air goes silent. Leaves fall to the ground without the wind and Ace’s stomach drops. Grim looks up at him and scoffs.

“Of course, she’ll miss _me_ , she’s _my_ henchman!” Grim stood on his haunches and pat himself on his fluffy chest with his paw. A beat. And suddenly the cat monster was unsure. “But what if she forgets everything when she goes back, you don’t think Crowley will wipe her memory or something!?” Grim’s babbling sounded far away and Ace rolled his shoulders back to assert dominance over the feelings bubbling up inside.

“Shut up, she’s not going back just yet, you don’t gotta whine about it,” Ace bit and Deuce recoiled.

“I’m not whining!” Both Grim and Deuce said in unison.

“Besides, she’s right there!” Ace pointed at the figure coming closer. Adele looked happy with herself as she approached. She gave the trio one of her signature smiles it seemed to breathe life into the stagnant air around them.

“Ready?” She asked, letting Grim back up into her arms when he appeared at her feet.

“Duh,” Ace replied, folding his arms behind his head as they began their trek to the school. The bell chimed, signifying there was only 5 more minutes until the first class of the day.

“The bell!” Deuce’s eyes bugged out of his skull, making Ace laugh.

“Well we better hurry then!” Ace replied and broke out into a run. Deuce followed suit and Grim practically launched himself off of his human’s shoulders at a chance to get ahead of the duo.

A laugh bubbled from Adele’s chest at their antics before tightening the straps of her backpack and joining in. The crisp air of autumn nipped at their noses and her long, chocolate hair flew free in her wake. Breathless, with her heart pounding in excitement, she realized that these mundane tasks would be what she missed the most.

As they neared the classroom door, the trio stopped to catch their collective breaths. Still panting, Deuce held the door open for her to walk through. Before she could, Ace pushed past her with a smirk, earning a chuckle from her. She followed suit, scooping the exhausted Grim up off the floor and nodding a quick thanks to the human doorstop before taking a seat in the crowded potions room. Ace and Deuce settled in on either side of her.

Yes, Adele thought. She would miss moments like these. Unbeknownst to her, the redhead beside her was savoring the time they had as well with the bittersweet tang of future goodbyes trapped on the tip of his tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahah....fuck.  
> Anyway, again this is not beta-read or edited because I am lazy! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I think that with a character like Adele, Ace would become more of an older-brother type who would give her nuggies and bully her relentlessly even though it's water off a duck's back. She adores Ace!  
> I have a headcanon that Deuce would get a giant crush on the MC, no matter the gender, or lack thereof. So uhhhh yeah. 
> 
> Anyway, you'll be getting an Azul chapter next! Yeehaw!  
> Also I might end up bumping up the rating just because I feel like things might get darker as these stories go on? Idk!


	3. Vanilla Twilight

“-and then the great, wise octopus told the little fish that if he shared his favorite scales with the others, he would be able to know true happiness-,” Adele’s calming voice filtered through Azul’s sleep addled haze. He blinked once then twice before reaching over to retrieve his glasses from the bedside table. A dull pain throbbed from every inch of his body; a lovely reminder of the spectacle he made of himself the other day. Cool shame washed over him like the morning tide as he recounted waking up in her arms. Adele had smiled down at him then; relief had colored her features as she had brushed the hair out of his eyes.

“Why are you here _again_?” He croaked out, too exhausted to afford embarrassment. This was the second day in a row she had visited him, sitting gracefully in the chair beside his bed. The sinking feeling that he knew the answer sat heavy in his stomach.

“I was worried about you,” She replied easily as she stood, striding lazily to his dresser, “Overblotting is scary. No one should have to cope with the _after_ alone.”

That’s what he was afraid of. Azul watched as she grabbed a tray from the top of his dresser. She glided back to the bed and began to unload the contents on his bedside table; a steaming cup of something as well as what looked to be breakfast. The overwhelming urge to cry caught in his throat like a lead weight and urged him to curl up in his blankets to shut the world out. Her worry, pity, and kindness grated on his nerves; would nothing satiate the world from looking down on him?

The blank pages of his memories of that day left him helpless; an inky recollection of anguish mingled with the despair brought on by his own humiliation. Azul remembered watching his contracts, the one bit of leverage he held against the world, crumbling to dust in Leona’s hands; remembered the lion’s face blurring through the hot, angry tears mixing with the saltwater around him as Azul screamed. Remorse and guilt were foreign concepts as his own fury enveloped him safely in the veil of darkness. When he woke, he found the sun blocked by a pair of violet eyes drenched in worry.

Despite himself, he couldn’t shake the memory of those eyes. Rimmed with thick, dark lashes, Adele’s gaze was sleepy, as if she hadn’t yet fully woken up from a pleasant dream, but they plagued him like a nightmare. Even now as they fell upon him with a softness that constricts his heart and muddled his thoughts. He could see stars in the depth of her eyes; their glimmering sweetness left him breathless. It felt like the first time he experienced the crushing force of gravity that encompassed the land above water. Under her gaze, he felt trapped.

Azul broke eye contact first and turned away from her, his body protesting from the movement. He heard Adele stand once more.

“Rest well, Azul,” She had said before turning the lights off and leaving his room behind.

Adele came back to his room the day after that, and the day after that, and even the day after that. She came to sit and visit with him every day that passed, and every day she brought him food and drink, being sure to check up on him without ever asking for anything in return. The concept was foreign to the cecaelia and he kept trying to offer her things in return. Adele would simply smile and shake her head.

“I’m doing this because we’re friends, Azul.”

“We are?” Azul practically choked on the coffee she had brought him, making her laugh. It sounded like the tinkling of bells, almost fairy-like in nature.

“I would like to be,” She offered, making him want to curl back up under his blankets away from the gaze that stripped him bare and left him vulnerable. “Are you okay, Azul?”

“I-I’m fine!” He sputtered and even to himself he sounded unsure and scared.

Slowly, he began to look forward to her visits. Azul found he would try to guess what outlandish topic she would begin to tell him about, and longed to wrap himself in the comfort of her soothing voice. He even found himself asking meaningless questions to hear her address him. The effect she had on him was hypnotic and he only found himself desiring more, but the largest portion of his innermost thoughts beat his hopes back every time he thought about getting closer. She could never want to get closer to a dumb, slow octopus.

“You’re late.” He said as she knocked and entered his room. The evening sun hung low in the sky, painting his dorm in the warm golden light of the hour. Azul was sitting up in his bed, desperately attempting to look busy by shuffling absentmindedly through the notes and assignments he had missed while he was recovering.

“I’m sorry, Floyd wouldn’t let me in the kitchen until I swayed with him in the lounge.” She smiled apologetically. “I made you a drink that helps me sleep when my thoughts keep me up,” Adele had brought in a large, steaming mug. As she grew nearer so did the scent of vanilla and cinnamon.

“I…” Azul started, but found the words stuck in his throat. Pressing his lips into a tight line, he exhaled through his nose. A _thank you, I appreciate it_ , tingled the tip of his tongue, but he found himself admonishing her. “You spoil Floyd too much. If you entertain his notions, he’ll never leave you alone.”

Adele offered him a sleepy smile as she set his drink on the nightstand. “Oh, I don’t mind. I love to dance and he’s always a willing partner, even if he never quite gets the timing right.” She went on and Azul gripped the blankets just a little bit tighter.

He knew it was selfish to believe that he was the only one she paid attention to, but in the confines of his room, he could pretend. He could believe their time alone was sacred and the thought filled the self-deprecating wound that had reopened after his incident. Every inch of his being longed to forge an impossible contract with her, to indite conditions that would force Adele to stay by his side, to keep her lavender gaze in his life. But every time his mind strayed too far in that direction, mortification and guilt drowned his worthless form and put him in his place for even giving his cowardice second thought. It was in these moments, much to his internal horror, that Azul realized he was at her mercy; he would simply have to trust her. He would have to trust in their newly formed friendship.

When Azul emerged back into the world after gaining his strength back, it was time to replace what he had taken. Floyd, Jade, and the idiotic Heartslabyul duo tagged along behind Adele, much to Azul’s annoyance.

Azul stood frozen in front of the lone, empty picture frame. Hesitation stilled his movements. Putting the image back would mean disregarding every cautious step he had taken to get where he was. It would mean accepting his past and the way he was treated. The silence that filled the room the moment Adele’s goons dispersed hung heavy around Azul’s shoulders. His throat felt dry, but his tears pricked the backs of his eyes. Footsteps behind him brought him out of his reverie.

“Why aren’t you with the others?” Azul asked, internally recoiling at his own harshness.

“I was worried about you.”

Like the ghost of a noise bouncing off the walls of an undersea cave, she echoed the first words spoken between the two. Her words and her eyes worked in tandem, plaguing his waking thoughts and even his dreams. Azul’s chest tightened and butterflies danced in his stomach. “You don’t have to worry about me going back on my word, I’m going to put the picture back.”

Azul did as he said and ever so gently placed the photo back in the frame, taking extra time to secure the backing. Whether it was for the sake of the photo or the sake of avoiding her knowing eyes, even he wasn’t sure. Once back on the wall, Azul was eye to eye with the past.

Prince Rielle’s smiling face in the middle of the cluster of adolescent merfolk. Floyd and Jade stuck out in the back row of the picture; their lanky forms provided such strong contrast to the chubby octopus that they held between them like the catch of the day. Clear as day, the memories came flooding back; the rush of vulnerability and the overwhelming ordeal of being known as his soft protests fell on deaf ears as he struggled in the twin eel’s grasps.

“That’s not what I meant, Azul.” Adele’s voice was soft as always and, without needing to look, he could picture the expression on her face; her dark brows knitted together with worry, her lips pouted and parted perfectly like a doll as she waited for his reply.

“I…” Azul started, but the words fell silent on his lips. How could he speak when faced with such deep understanding? Before Adele, no one had taken the time to offer themself or their time to him. The twins had befriended him in his youth and stuck by him, but _this_ was different. They had feared for him during his overblot episode and checked on him periodically, but _she_ was different. Despite her reassurances, Adele’s constant presence remained a disarming reminder that this strange, new _normal_ could all be taken away, and in the depths of his conflicted emotional concoction, Azul was frightened. Frightened of getting in too deep and having her yank the rug from under his feet. Frightened of allowing someone to see Azul Ashengrotto for all that he was, is, and ever will be…and hating him.

Tears pricked the backs of his eyes and made it difficult to swallow. Her form began to blur yet with a steadying breath, Azul began, “I thought if I could rid the world of this last picture, it would…erase the past so I don’t have to acknowledge its existence.”

Adele took a small step forward to inspect the picture again, with the knowledge that her friends were inside. She took in the childish faces of her friends, delighted by the roundness that comes with childhood. Azul watched uncomfortably as she stared, a little too hard and a little too long. It seemed ages that she stared, the cogs in her brain turning as she drank in every detail.

After an excruciating amount of time, Adele spoke, her words as slow as molasses. “I like who you were because he helped you become who you are; and I like you the way you are,” Adele said, tearing her gaze away to lock eyes with the cecaelia. “Shady contracts, tentacles, and all.”

* * *

When Adele stepped foot into the Mostro Lounge, she was immediately greeted by the Leech twins. Floyd greeted her from across the room with a loud “Hey Rainbowfish!” as he served a table their drinks and Jade offered her a wave and a smile.

Azul had told her to come to the lounge to try a new drink he had added to the menu. With the news of the addition, almost every seat was full of students. Adele quietly watched the fish swimming lazily in the tank at the back of the room while she waited for Azul to leave his office.

And that was where he found her, standing in her usual dress, bathed in the ethereal, blue lights of the aquarium. Azul paused. He watched the serene expression on her face as her eyes followed a grouper’s trek across the tank. The fact that she found happiness in something so mundane and familiar to him, brought a warmth to his chest. A gentle nudge from Jade, who had been watching the scene unfold from the sidelines for some time now, urged him on. Azul cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, and took his first step.

“Ah, Adele, perfect timing!” Azul said as he rounded the corner.

He seemed back to usual demeanor pre-overblot. His suit was freshly pressed, the white scarf that lay evenly across his shoulders was free of any lint or snags, and his dark fedora sat snugly over his pale curls, casting shade over his pretty features. He was dressed to the nines, Adele noted. This was the Azul that the rest of the world saw; the shady businessman with honeyed words who can make anything happen.

Azul walked with the swagger of a man ten times his size as he approached and offered his arm. Adele graciously took it and allowed him to lead her across the room to the bar. As they walked, she took in the sights of The Mostro Lounge. Jade and Floyd attended to the customers alongside a few Octavinelle students she couldn’t put names to. They joked and traded smiles as they all worked in tandem like a well-oiled machine.

“It truly is incredible,” said Adele, “the lounge, I mean.”

Azul seemed to puff his chest out a little at the compliment. He offered her a smirk as they arrived at the bar. “Thank you, I’m very proud of how lucrative it has become!” He pulled out a barstool for her and watched as she carefully stepped up and plopped down.

“Now, what’s all this about a new drink, Azul?” Adele asked as she smoothed her skirt over her lap. Azul signaled for her to wait before disappearing completely behind the revolving kitchen door. It didn’t take long for him to return and when he did, he carried a familiar scent with him. The faint bite of cinnamon blended beautifully with the decadent sweetness of vanilla.

“Oh Azul, you remembered!” She clapped her hands together lightly once as he set the drink in front of her.

“I made a few adjustments here and there,” Azul explained. He propped an elbow on the bar and rested his cheek upon his hand.

Beneath a layer of sweet, foamy cloud, Adele found a pale purple concoction inside her cup. Mesmerized by the color, she glanced back up to smile at her friend before taking her first sip. A light, creamy sweetness hit her tongue and immediately she felt any tension in her shoulders slip away. The familiarity of her comfort drink gave way to a new, herbaceous undertone.

Azul watched as she took sip after sip of his menu’s latest edition. Her pale eyes wide with curiosity as she tried to decipher the new taste. “Is it to your liking?”

“It’s absolutely divine!” Adele set her cup down on its saucer. “What was the new ingredient?”

“Lavender,” Azul said definitively. She looked up and locked eyes with him. What might have been a brief moment, or an entire year, passed between them. Her pale violet eyes He cleared his throat once more and asked, “Can I have your permission to sell this drink?”

Adele looked at him quizzically; an eyebrow cocked just slightly. She held the drink back up to her face for inspection. She sniffed at it before taking another sip. She savored the sweetness, holding the warm mug in both hands close to her heart. “Of course, but isn’t it a little too simple to be sold at an establishment like this?”

“Nonsense,” He said, “I think it’s perfect.” He smiled, one of his rarely shown, true smiles he saved for special occasions. She met his smile with another one of her own.

“What made you choose lavender?” Adele asked.

Thousands of excuses swam through Azul’s head, but the image of her dreamy eyes cut through each one like the sharpest blades. How could he explain that the gentle color of the drink brought to mind her own visage? That the very moment he looks into her eyes he is stripped vulnerable and prostrate before her benevolent judgement only to be bathed in her comfort and built back up from her own hands. How could he possibly explain that this was the only way to keep her eyes in his life?

Azul did what he did best; he lied.

“Easy,” Azul hummed, giving no indication of his inner turmoil, “Lavender has relaxing properties. Our fellow classmates get easily stressed during exams. I believe this drink will be a hit!”

“You’re so smart Azul!” Adele chuckled before realization struck her. She paused a moment, taking time to dig through her bag. She pulled out her strange camera and before Azul to blink, she had taken a picture of both him and the drink.

“This will be one of my favorites,” She said quietly, holding the developing photo close to her chest. “I will put it on my wall once I return home— I mean…to Ramshackle.”

As quick as it was, the slight hesitation in her voice and the sadness that flickered across her face was not lost on her companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really inspired by the dreamy feeling of Owl City's Vanilla Twilight, and I lowkey thought of how Adele's eyes might give off that same kind of sleepy vibe that lavender and a purple/pink sunset filled with stars does, if that makes sense. I know this was just...almost 3000 words of Azul simping for Adele, but I really wanted to explore his emotional trauma and trust issues while finding someone that won't disappear after the healing is done.
> 
> Anyway!! Thank you for reading and thank you so much for the kind words about Adele! I'm so honored you all seem to like her, she would love you all! I would love to hear about your ocs if you have them and if you think they would get along with Adele! Maybe I could even include some cameos with them in some chapters eventually!


	4. Turn Your Troubles Into Bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scrub-a-dub-dub, Grim is in the tub!

The nights were always the hardest for Adele. Alone in the decrepit, dusty dorm, she was trapped with her thoughts. She wondered if she was considered missing—if she was missed by friends and family. What scared her the most was the lack of a desire to get back. If she thought too much about it, a light pain blossomed in her temples and the room spun.

That was where Grim had found her when he padded into their shared room on his tiny paws. He watched Adele curl up around herself and shudder a breath. He lifted a paw to move before thinking better of it and setting it back down quietly.

“Hey human, aren’t you normally in the bath by now?” His tinny voice cut through the room like a knife and even he winced a bit at the reverberation on the empty walls. Adele’s head shot up, her eyes immediately landing on his form.

“Ah, Grim,” she started, “yes, I guess it has gotten late, hasn’t it?”

“Honestly, what would you do without me?” Grim tutted, his smirk showing off his pointed teeth.

Adele didn’t respond to his teasing. Instead, she stood from her place on the bed, both her body and the mattress frame creaking with exhaustion. Grim swallowed thickly as she approached, the fur on his back rising ever so slightly. The flames in his ears burned a bit hotter in anticipation. He would try to bolt as she moved to scoop him up, but she was always just a tad bit faster than he was.

“Ugh, you always do this!” Grim pouted as they approached the large bathroom. She had spent a week thoroughly cleaning the tiles and shower heads of what used to be a communal shower room before she found the old dorm head’s personal bathroom. The large room was elegant once cleaned with its massive shower head and clawfoot tub. This was where she headed now, Grim squirming in his arms as he put up a fight like he always did. “Why do I, The Great Grim, have to take a bath with you!?”

“It would be unbecoming for a great magician to be stinky; don’t you think?” She spoke softly, her voice lilting as if she were singing a song. Grim simply muttered an insult that lacked heat and went limp in her arms, a sign he was giving in.

When she first tried to get him in the bath, Adele was terrified she would accidentally extinguish the flames in his ears. She asked Sam if he had any kind of magical shower cap that she could use to cover his ears without catching it on fire. He had laughed outright when she asked, the image of the narcissistic cat monster in a little shower cap was simply too precious and it didn’t take long for him to procure the item for her.

Grim sat in thinly veiled irritation as Adele fitted the shower cap on his sensitive ears and removed the bow around his neck. She set his uniform to the side, reminding herself to wash it separately later as he continued to grumble and complain. As she moved, Grim allowed his sharp claws extend at times to lightly scratch her arms as she held him. It was his own harmless way of establishing dominance over the situation, at least in his mind.

Adele quickly stripped and gently slid into the water first, letting the heat engulf her tired form. She sighed in content as she soaked for a few moments alone. Her violet eyes opened slowly, giving Grim a sleepy smile, “Come on Grim, let’s turn our troubles into bubbles.”

Adele scooped him up gently, allowing him time to release his claws from the bathroom rug—his last stand against bath time, but before he knew it the bath was filled with bubbles and she was lathering up his small body. As she worked, she grew silent. Grim spared her a confused glance; usually the bathroom was filled with the breathy sound of her singing some unfamiliar tune. _It’s gonna be one of those nights, huh?_ He thought to himself.

Adele’s movements were more purposeful tonight, as if she were solving her own problems through Grim’s tiny frame. She massaged tension and soothed aches as best she could. Overwhelming emotion overtook her as she stared at the monster in her arms. If she could make Grim happy, then that was enough for her.

“You’re too quiet, why do you always do that?” Grim asked, succumbing to her ministrations and the soothing heat of the water. He grumbled a bit at her handling him like some kind of common pet, but her deft fingers married with the sweet smell of her shampoo had the monster melting against her palms.

His voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she stared down at him for a moment before speaking. “I can’t easily put into words what you mean to me, Grim.”

“Ahaha…” Grim let out an awkward laugh, embarrassed by her sudden confession. “Of course, you feel that way in the presence of a powerful magician!”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed in agreement as she rinsed his fur. “I’ll miss you when I go home.” She practically whispered; all movement ceased. A moment passed between the two before Grim fidgeted in her arms once more, a strange pull in his chest.

“Well, uh, don’t go home so soon,” Grim began posturing again, sputtering, “I still need you—your ability as my henchman!”

At this, Adele giggled. The sound of her laugh broke the tension in the room and stirred the bubbles in the water. Indignation burned bright in the monster’s chest. “I mean it, Adele, we’re a team.”

She gasped, grabbing the cat monster close to her chest. It was the first time he had ever called her by her name. Adele’s heart swelled; tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. “Do you truly mean it, Grim?”

“M-mean what? Let me go!” he squirmed, splashing water out onto the tile below them.

“You said we’re a team!” She smiled down at him and he stilled once more. The sheer amount of emotion swirling in her lavender gaze was deafening.

“Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thank you so much for taking the time to read my self-indulgent nonsense! I really appreciate it!  
> I'm gonna upload Floyd and Jade's individual chapters next and then its on to Leona! I was originally going to post the twins' chapters first but I had this idea in my head and I couldn't just let it fester.


	5. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets too hot and Adele chooses to make a splash at the Mostro Lounge

Floyd wanted nothing to do with Adele the first time they met. She didn’t react to his threats the way everyone else did and she was boringly understanding. No matter what he did or said, Adele remained calm and composed. For every insult or slight to get a rise out of her, she answered with a witty retort and a smile. She knew how to play Floyd like a fiddle and for that he kept coming back. All it took was a little bit of swimming to change his mind.

The Mostro Lounge was packed with students of all shapes and sizes. Each booth was filled to the brim and Adele watched a few students elbow each other in their pursuit of their sweet treats. The sheer amount of bodies packed into the lounge mixed with the heat radiating off the kitchen machinery had sweat pooling on Adele’s upper lip. She wiped her face with the bottom of her apron and flipped her braid to the other shoulder to get more air. She could see why Azul called for her help.

“An _Iced Mocha_ and a _Vanilla Twilight_ for table 8,” Floyd said, slapping the counter as he passed the bar. A bored expression played at his lips.

“Which one’s a Vanilla Twilight?” Adele cocked her head in question. Floyd smirked at her, baring his sharp teeth for her to see, reminding her, once again, how dangerous the eel could be. She didn’t show it, but despite the heat, a chill ran down her spine.

“The drink Azul made specifically for _you_ ,” he said in a sing-song voice, “the recipe should be written in the book!” He called with a laugh before leaving to work the lounge floor. 

For a time, the team worked in tandem; Jade and Floyd would take the orders and Adele would prepare them in the kitchen, sliding the finished products across the bar to be taken to the correct table. Slowly, very slowly, students began to trickle out the door and the Mostro Lounge was once again at a manageable level. Despite this, the heat did not dissipate.

Adele untied her apron and set it aside, choosing to get some air out of the kitchen during a slow period. Pushing through the kitchen door and standing in the brilliant blue hue of the aquarium wall, she had an idea. Ignoring the low, ever-present murmur of the lounge guests, Adele strode to the back of the room where the ladder to the top of the aquarium leaned against the thick glass of the tank.

Slowly, Adele undid the buttons on the back of her dress, letting the fabric fall to the floor to pool around her feet. Soundlessly, she stepped out of the dress and folded it, setting it on the side table where the fish-keeping equipment was stashed. She unbraided her sweaty hair and made quick work of her socks and shoes, leaving them to sit neatly beside the same side table before climbing up the ladder in nothing but her bra and underwear.

The splash could be heard across the lounge, causing students to rise from their seats to try and get a better look at what was going on. Someone towards the back whistled at the sight of Adele’s exposed form. Ignoring the calls and chatter, she continued to float, letting the cool water lap at her skin and cleanse her of the sweat of the day’s work.

“What are you doing in there, Rainbowfish?” Floyd was tapping the glass of the aquarium with the tip of his gloved index finger, a wicked smile sitting on his lips as he climbed up the ladder himself. His eyes raked over her form before settling on her eyes. He stood over the edge of the tank, peering at the floating human.

“Why do you call me that?” She answered with her own question as the water carried her farther away. Her chocolate curls fanned and furled around her head like a crown. The trust she exhibited around creatures that could easily kill her was astounding, _and a little stupid_ , Floyd thought. He eyed the contents of the tank below Adele, briefly considering riling them up just to see her react. The idea faded as quickly as it came, but a cocky, toothy smile fell easily on Floyd’s lips.

“Why should I tell you?”

Rainbowfish were generally well-liked creatures; almost annoyingly so. In Floyd’s mind, the colorful little interloping fish fit Adele perfectly; she was loved by most everyone she came into contact with, welcomed into social circles some believed inaccessible, and she always meddled in others’ affairs as if she truly cared. It was annoying to say the least, but the fact remained: she was always teetering on the border of boring and interesting.

“You don’t have to,” She shrugged and closed her eyes. The water lapping at the sides of her face dipped the world in and out of silence.

Unable to get a rise out of his prey, Floyd’s smile fell. “You’re so boring!” A terrible look spread across his face, his uneven eyes grew unfocused as he spoke, “Maybe I need to squeeze a reaction out of you.”

“Why don’t you swim with me instead?” She asked, unfazed by his personality switch.

“I can squeeze you easier like that, ya know?” He laughed; his threatening aura gone before she could blink. Floyd shucked his jacket off his broad shoulders and jumped in, surely splashing water all over the floor in front of the tank. The fish in the tank swam rapidly around in the water below, confused by the two newcomers in their home.

Adele giggled as she rode the wake of his entry, being careful not to disturb the jellyfish floating peacefully below her. Something touched her leg and she jerked it back and slowly righted herself. It wasn’t until it was in her hands that she realized it was a boy’s uniform shirt. Looking around, it was easy to put two and two together.

“Get down here, Rainbowfish!” Floyd grabbed her leg and dragged her under. Before she could even yelp, the water engulfed her in her entirety. The peaceful silence of the world underwater replaced the din of the Mostro Lounge. The light pouring in from the top of the tank shimmered brilliantly and she could barely make out the tables through layers of water distortion and glass.

A flash of teal caught her eye and when she looked down, she was met with the sight of Floyd in all his glory, his true eel form on full display. His enormous tail took up a good portion of the tank, very quickly wrapping around itself in the sand that lay at the bottom. His golden left eye seemed to glow in the water, casting the most eerie gaze her way. He pulled her down to his level, where he circled her once, his tail following behind him and kicking up sand. He offered her a cheeky smile as he played with her hair and allowed his razor-sharp claws to dance on her skin.

Looking past the whirlwind that was Floyd, there were fish swimming to and fro all around her. Very briefly, she thought of apologizing to them for intruding on their home, but realized Floyd was causing more harm that she was, so she waved the thought away. Floating high above her, she could see the jellyfish minding their own business as they had been all along. The tank looked so tall from her vantage point that she could hardly believe it was the same one she saw from the outside.

The magical daze of seeing the world from another view was very quickly overshadowed by the burning in her lungs. Adele gently swatted Floyd’s hands away and pointed upwards to signal him. He let go with a disappointed look on his face as he followed her up.

When Adele broke the surface of the water, many things happened all at once. She could hear a deep, amused chuckle coming from the ladder on top of the rising noise level of the dining room, accompanied by what sounded like a very irritated Azul Ashengrotto. “It’s not every day that we see half-naked girls in the Mostro Lounge,” Jade was speaking to her with an unreadable expression on his face, “though I’m not opposed to the view, I think Azul might have a few opinions.”

“Aw, tell him to go spit up ink somewhere else, we’re just having some fun, right Rainbowfish?” Floyd complained and splashed water at his brother. Without blinking, Jade wiped water from his cheek.

“It was fun.” She nodded along with Floyd, but nonetheless doggy-paddled her way towards Jade. “However, I didn’t mean to upset Azul.”

Jade offered her a hand out of the water, which she gladly took. He pulled her up effortlessly, it made her wonder just how strong the Leech twins truly were. “Oh, I think he’ll forgive _you_ ,” he said, “though I wonder what Floyd’s punishment will be.”

Floyd splashed him again and continued to swim around in the tank, enjoying the familiar feeling of saltwater on his skin. _If she can come up with ideas like this, maybe she’s not too bad._

Being careful not to slip on the metal rungs on the way down, Adele made her way back to her clothes. Azul quickly approached, but seeing that she still wasn’t decent, turned around to face the dining room. He threw his arm back without looking to offer a hand towel from the kitchen. Adele smiled, taking it gratefully. She began to dry herself off to the best of her abilities before getting dressed once more.

“Sorry Azul,” she said, “It was hot. But it was gorgeous in there, Azul! Is that what your home is like every day? It’s so…. so magical!” Her voice lilted in the softest way. Azul felt the heat travel across his face and chest as he pictured her face scrunched up in mystified joy.

“I, you, um,” he cleared his throat, “If the temperature isn’t conducive to work, please let me know. Don’t take matters into your own hands and give the dining room a…a show.”

“Maybe we should start charging?” Jade suggested.

“Jade!” Azul shot the eel a glare that lacked heat, and Jade simply smiled.

“Think of all the money we could make, Azul!” Floyd’s voice carried from the top of the tank. His arms were hanging over the edge of the tank as he watched the goings-ons below.

“You! Get down from there!” Stress colored Azul’s pretty features as he grimaced, “Now the pH balance of the tank will need to be checked, the coral will have to be destressed, I just, ugh….” He grumbled before facing a now clothed Adele, Jade, and Floyd by proxy. “Okay, no one is allowed to go swimming in the fish tank, Floyd come on, we’ve got a business to run!”

“I heard ya the first time.” Floyd snarked as he pulled himself up and over the side of the tank.

A wet plop sounded behind them as Floyd threw the pieces of his uniform over the edge one by one. Jade wordlessly dodged a shoe as it landed at his feet and ushered Adele farther away from the blast zone.

Grabbing onto the sides of the ladder, Floyd slid all the way to the bottom, forgoing the rungs altogether. The sound of wet skin slapping against the linoleum alerted Adele of Floyd’s presence before he slung a wet, bare arm around her shoulder. He pushed his body against her back, soaking the back of her dress, and rested his chin on the top of her head. Adele’s heart thundered in her chest and her face turned bright red at the feeling of Floyd’s toned body pressed flush against her own.

“We should go swimming again sometime, Rainbowfish.” His tone was dark, but Adele could feel the laugh bubbling up from his chest as Azul turned to him with thinly veiled irritation.

“Floyd, could you not harass the help?” Jade watched the scene unfold with a bemused expression. Floyd simply blew a raspberry towards his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I would 1000000% go swimming in the fish tank at The Mostro Lounge, so sue me.  
> Jade is next!


	6. Unbreakable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade is curious about Night Raven's only female student and her strange behavior. Never has anyone been this interesting.

Floyd wanted nothing to do with Adele the first time they met. She didn’t react to his threats the way everyone else did and this only piqued Jade’s interest in Ramshackle’s prefect. The fact that she was the only female on the campus was reason alone to find interest. The chaos she unknowingly presented is a decadent and welcome thing for Jade’s insatiable curiosity.

“You’re like me, Jade,” Adele had said one day as they worked in the greenhouse together on an assignment.

“Oh?” He stood at his full height to observe her closely. She was bent over with her hands digging in a pot of dirt as if she hadn’t just started the most interesting conversation he could remember having at Night’s Raven College.

She didn’t flinch, didn’t move a muscle, as she spoke and simply carried on digging and pruning the magical plant in front of her. “You’re very observant and you keep to yourself unless something interests you.”

“However, unlike myself, you burden yourself with fixing others’ problems.” Jade answered without missing a beat.

It was at this moment that Adele righted herself and locked eyes with him. Unlike his dorm head, Jade didn’t feel pinned by her stare and simply stared back, unaffected. He watched her movements like a predator watches its prey, drinking in every inch of the young woman in front of him. She was messy from her time working with the plants and though their class was almost over, Adele made no move to rid herself of the soil swiped across her cheeks. In the middle of the heat of the greenhouse, the duo sized each other up.

“That’s what interests me.”

“Oh ho.” Jade cocked an eyebrow at her, his usual, knowing smirk resting on his lips. “I look forward to the day you deem me interesting enough to _fix_.”

“And I look forward to the day that you trust me.” She gave him one of her own easy smiles before bringing her arm up to her face to finally rub the excess dirt off. “We should get back so we have time wash up before lunch! Would you like to walk with me?” 

Despite himself, Jade felt inclined to agree. Together they walked leisurely back towards the main campus; Jade’s long legs setting a brutal pace for Adele’s own smaller ones, yet she kept up. Glancing to the side, Jade could see her chest rise and fall with exertion.

 _Until I trust you…_ Jade thought. It was laughable really. A cruel smirk stretched across his face, but he kept quiet, just watching Adele struggle.

“Oi, Jade, Rainbowfish!” Floyd sauntered up to the duo, practically flinging himself over Adele’s form. “Ew, you’re dirty.” He complained, but his arms stayed put and he rested his chin on top of Adele’s head, his favorite place to be when Adele was around. She brought a hand up to pat the side of his head affectionately, earning a sneer from the eel as he dodged her hand after the first touch.

“We were playing in the greenhouse,” Adele’s voice was soft and dreamy as usual as she spoke. Floyd’s interest was piqued by her words, a sly smile on his lips.

“You two were playing without me?” He asked. “Hey, hey, Jade, did you have fun _playing_ with Rainbowfish? You did, didn’t you? Is that why she’s covered in dirt?” Floyd’s raspy voice squeaked as he spoke faster and faster. His grasp grew almost imperceptibly tighter around Adele’s shoulders, making her wince.

“Of course, we did, Floyd.” Jade replied without blinking.

“I knew it!” Floyd laughed, jostling Adele once more. “Man, Azul will ink himself if he hears! I want to be the first to see his face!”

“It’s not nice to spread rumors, Jade.” Adele interjected. To Jade, she sounded unbothered by Floyd’s accusations. _What would it take to break her?_ He wondered.

“Aw, so nothing happened?” Floyd blew a raspberry into her hair and let go of her like a discarded toy that no longer brought him joy.

“I’m afraid so,” Jade shrugged. “We were working on an assignment.”

““That’s boring.” Floyd folded his arms across his chest and shook his head.

“Sure, but the truth is more important,” Adele pointed out.

“I’m not taking life lessons from someone covered in dirt,” Floyd laughed at her and then came between his brother and her, wrapping a long arm around each. “Let’s go get food before I take a bite out of Rainbowfish, here.”

From then on, Jade kept close watch over the new girl. He watched as she easily flusters students like Azul to the point where he has to exit the room and with a gentle wave of her hand, she bends the air of any room to endear those around her. Adele claims she has no magic, _but what is it she’s doing to the school’s inhabitants if not some kind of sorcery?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jade's chapter is so short compared to Floyd's but he's so hard to write for OTL  
> They're both so ridiculously hard to write for because their characters are so nuanced. I hate it here, grandpa.
> 
> I definitely think the Leech twins aren't ones to fall in love, at least not yet, nor anytime soon. They're married to chaos and schadenfreude. Like, these boys ABSOLUTELY spread rumors like it's their job just bc it would be funny. I feel like Adele is one of their main targets because her reactions are varied.


	7. Contract Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilia wonders where, and why, the fairies got all these sugar cubes, so he goes to the local weird girl for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit guys thank you so much for all the kudos and bookmarks! I didn't even notice when, but that's crazy to me! Thank you guys so so so much!  
> ALSO did I say leona chapter? I meant lilia chapter AKA I'm dumb and didn't have inspiration for the Leona chapter.

Lilia Vanrouge was observant. He kept his ears to the ground, so to speak, preferring to have as much information about those surrounding him as possible. It was only natural that he listens when the nature fairies that work around Nights Raven College began to speak.

Whispers danced around the short fae’s head as the fire fairies twittered to and fro, lighting the braziers that hung on the walls of the Diasomnia dorm common room. As the flames came to life in their rightful places, the chatter continued, urging Lilia to set close the book he was reading and set it on his lap.

_Her offering…._

_Continuous…._

_Nothing in return…._

_Confusing…._

Lilia tilted his head as he caught bits and pieces of their lilting, barely-there words. To an untrained human’s ear, their small voices were merely the sound of tinkling bells, but Lilia listened intently to their conversations and an amused smile settled on his lips.

“Oh ho?” He chuckled and stood from the plush settee. The two fire fairies stopped stoking the fireplace as he neared them. “Tell me, what has our little lady been up to now?”

* * *

The Autumn sky was wide and cloudless when Lilia popped magically into existence outside Ramshackle’s large gates. Taking a deep breath and patting his sides to double check that the small drawstring bag attached to his belt hadn’t shifted, Lilia righted himself and made his way up the walkway through the gate.

The familiar tone of the only girl on campus’s voice rolled happily along with the brisk autumn breeze. As he neared the old building, Lilia could see the outline of her skirts at the base of the large tree in the cemetery. Strangely though, Lilia noted, was that flitting above her head were numerous nature fairies of all different likes. His face contorted with confused mirth.

“—but I never really liked eating the food they made,” Adele spoke, “it was always as if they were working towards impressing someone. My nonna, though, her cooking was truly something else. It made you feel at home, and if it didn’t, then she, herself, would. She only cooked with the vegetables from papa’s garden. Don’t tell anyone, but that was my favorite place in the house.”

Her voice was soft as it always was when she spoke to the fairies, who listened intently to her rambling. An earth fae sat upon her shoulder, its tiny hands resting on her cheeks, feeling the vibrations of her words, while a handful of water fae spread themselves among her skirts, creating wet spots where their perpetually soaked bodies sat. Every tiny pair of eyes was glued to Adele’s face and she changed topics at least three times as Lilia stood watching her.

“Do you like to dance? I love dancing; I wonder if this school has any dances?” Adele tilted her head, causing the earth fairy to fall from its perch and into her waiting hands. She cooed at it. “My school back home had plenty of them, though I was never invited by someone else…it’s nice to dance on your own.”

With his curiosity piqued, Lilia cleared his throat. Suddenly all eyes were on his approaching form. A smile found its way to Adele’s sleepy features, “Why, hello there, Lilia!”

“Good afternoon, Adelaide,” Lilia replied. “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”

Adele hummed in response, closing her eyes against the sunrays pushing themselves through the shadows of the tree’s remaining leaves. “Would you like to sit with us?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Lilia plopped down beside her, and the other fairies settled back down on her skirts. Once in the shade, away from the midday sun, Lilia could breathe easy. “This shade suits me better, I think.”

“You don’t like the sunshine?” She asked, turning to look at her new companion.

“I always feel pretty weak when the sun’s out in its entirety,” Lilia shrugged before giving her a playful wink. “Don’t use that against me in the future, little lady!”

Adele giggled and shook her head, “I would never!”

“I should hope so, for your sake.” Lilia’s eyes never left her face, but Adele didn’t quite catch the glint in his eye as he spoke.

“What brings you to my humble garden?” Adele asked, motioning smoothly around.

“What you call a garden, appears to have wilted and withered,” He remarked with a curious expression before looking out into the cemetery. Rows and rows of headstones surrounded the two. There was no garden in Ramshackle, as far as Lilia knew.

“When I bring flowers for the graves, it almost looks like a garden.” Her answer sounded wistful and far away, as if her mind was elsewhere. “I can pretend for a little while.”

The wind kicked up around them, gently playing with the chocolate plait resting over her shoulder. Lilia settled in against the tree trunk to watch her as silence fell around them. In the splotchy light falling through the leaves, Adele looked tired. Even without his heightened senses, Lilia could pinpoint the dark half-moons under her eyes and the slump of her shoulders. He wondered if she slept at all in the old dorm behind them, what with the ghosts and the dust and her cat monster. It was bad enough that she was dropped in a foreign land without warning, but to have her stay in the torn up, abandoned building farthest away from everything on campus couldn’t make her situation any easier; ostracized and sequestered like a criminal. _She’s just a child_ , Lilia feels something akin to pity pulling on his heartstrings and he sighs.

“Sweet Adelaide, I was wondering if you could help me answer some questions while I’m here.” Lilia spoke first. Her expression contorted with the unasked question and he continued, pulling the tiny bag from his belt. His deft fingers made quick work of the knot at the top before turning out the contents of the bag onto her skirts. “Could you explain why the fire fairies in Diasomnia had these sugar cubes in their possession?”

A handful of fairies dispersed to get a better look at the situation, while others climbed up Adele’s chest to sit on her shoulders. Adele lifted a dainty hand to grab one of the cubes, rolling it between her forefinger and thumb absentmindedly.

“It’s quite simple, really,” she answers, handing over the sugar cube to an earth fairy sitting on her shoulder. It takes the cube in its tiny hands, looking even tinier against the larger grain of the sugar. “I gave each one a sugar cube while they were lighting the fires in Ramshackle.”

“I gathered that much, dear,” Lilia shot her a smirk, “I was wondering why?”

Adele didn’t so much as look at Lilia, choosing to watch the fairies as they each took another sugar cube. It took both of their miniscule palms to hold up one sugar cube and Lilia watched Adele’s eyes soften, her lips quirking into an adoring smile. “I wanted to watch them hold something in their tiny hands.”

Dumbfounded, Lilia couldn’t hold back his laughter. “You wonderful child!” Lilia almost floated away in his mirth. “These…are contract fairies, Adelaide,” he explained, “when you give them an offering, they take it in exchange for work.”

“Then…” Adele trailed off, processing this news as she watched the fairies bumble around with their hands full.

“They work for the college because Crowley gives them regular offerings. You’ve simply confused them by giving them something and asking nothing in return!”

“I…had no idea. I hope I didn’t disrupt their work too badly.” Adele’s thick brows furrowed as guilt flushed the peach tone of her skin. Her eyes danced from Lilia to the fairies and then back again. “Oh, Lilia, what should I do?”

“Well, you’ve done nothing irreprehensible, dear,” Lilia wiped a tear away from his eye with his handkerchief. “Simply, give them a task to do and it will appease them.”

Adele shifted in her spot, knocking the congregation of tiny bodies off her skirts. She cupped her hands and brought one up to her face, studying it. Lilia watched carefully as the two sized each other up.

Lilia knew in that moment what he had thought all along was true. That, while not someone to be feared, Adele held a very capable, very curious power of her own. There was something pure about her, something that Lilia had only seen in the faces of babes he raised over the course of his long life and watching the way it rumbled and rolled off her body like a thunder cloud about to let rain cool the earth warmed Lilia’s old, cynical heart.

“A task for you, hmm,” Adele hummed, “Well, you’re quite small, so I guess it can’t be a great deal of work...”

Lilia didn’t want to ruin her concentration by reminding her that she was dealing with magical beings, choosing to watch her thought process. Her light eyes danced over the fairies and skimmed along the boarded-up walls of Ramshackle. Curiosity pulled him closer to the teen until he was in her face. She turned to him suddenly, causing him to recoil in surprise.

“A garden!” She says, her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She turned to the fairies, the brightest smile Lilia had seen on her face. “Could you help me build a garden, a real garden, close to the dorm, so that I might admire it from the porch?”

The fairies looked to one another, seemingly in agreement, and before Adele could process it, the sugar cubes dissolved and disappeared with individual pops and hisses. One by one the fairies flew up towards Ramshackle, urging Adele to stand from her spot and follow. Lilia kicked up grass as he quickly followed suit.

By the time the duo had reached the dorm, the fairies were already working their magic. The fire fairies honed the sun’s rays to shine on the allotted garden space as the earth fairies pressed their hands deep into the earth, pushing up different kinds of flowers with a definite plopping noise. Adele and Lilia watched the tiny beings work in tandem, Adele specifically watching with wonder as the water fairies sprinkled the upturned soil with enough droplets to ensure the flower’s growth. The light tinkling of bells echoed whimsically across the grounds as the fairies laughed and spoke with one another as they worked.

_How lovely…_

_Flowers…_

_I would like more sugar…_

_Yes, how lovely…_

After a while, every pair of eyes turned towards the due in silence as if to say _I’m done!_ Adele stepped forward and into the garden with tears in her eyes. She was immediately met with the warmth of a magically fabricated sun. Inside the square space it felt like the warmest spring day, where flowers are happiest. Lilia moved to follow her, but once he felt the harsh springtime sunlight directly hit his skin he winced and stepped back. He smiled before she could catch him.

“It seems they’ve created a greenhouse for you,” he said, “They must really be fond of you, sweet Adelaide. It’s not every day they go to such lengths.”

“It’s just like I remember it…” Adele whispered, completely absorbed in the garden around her. Lilia cocked his head to the side to watch more closely. A tear fell from her eye and she wiped at it absentmindedly and turned to the tiny gazes trained on her form.

“Oh, you lovely fairies you,” she sat on the dirt, folding her skirt underneath her as she went. A few of the fairies flew to her side in an instant. “You’ve gone and built me my papa’s garden. Did you listen to my stories so intently?”

A cacophonic ringing of bells started as they all spoke at once.

_Stories…_

_Garden…_

_Sugar…_

_How lovely…_

Adele simply smiled at them, whispering her thanks to each and every one before turning her gaze to Lilia.

“Are you staying for lunch?” She asked. For the first time since she arrived all those months ago, her face was full of life and her smile lulled Lilia’s heart. He found himself smiling with her.

“Only if I’m invited,” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, i promise next chapter will be leona!!! I'm a mess, but, again, thank you guys for reading, it really means a lot! If you're curious about Adele or if you just want to come and talk about twst, my twst-specific tumblr is @usaginotwst
> 
> I've got some doodles of Adele there (https://usaginotwst.tumblr.com/post/626820126112645120/doodle-dump-of-my-twst-oc-adele-shes-the-one-in), as well as some dumb edits I made, and I might eventually start putting headcanons and stuff there as well! If you have any requests, I can take them there too!


	8. Childhood Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit you guys thank you so much for all the kudos! I got back from a trip to the lake today and just about fell on the floor. I've never had any of my stories reach anywhere near the amount of kudos i've got on this! It means to the world to me!
> 
> I'm honestly not a huge fan of this chapter, but enjoy some Leona content and a hint of Adele's background.

_If you’re cold, they’re cold._

That’s what Adele was always taught by those commercials on TV back home; the ones depicting animals, presumably pets, shivering and cowering in the snow. This was the thought that crossed her head when she saw Leona napping outside under a yellowing tree.

The world was in the great shift between the last dredges of summer and the birth of autumn, where the sun was hot, but the wind was cold. Adele clutched her picnic basket closer to her side as she watched the lion’s cat nap. A breeze pushed her skirts around her knees and caused a shiver to waltz up and down her spine and goosebumps to rise along the skin of her bare arms.

Leona, however, looked peaceful under the shade of a large tree, the gentle rise and fall of his chest spoke of the sweet dreams painted on the backs of his eyelids. His long tail twitched unconsciously near his legs, bringing a smile to Adele’s face.

“Are you really gonna bother him again?” Grim rolled his eyes as he popped out from underneath the blanket covering the picnic basket. He held an opened can of tuna in his paws and the fur around his mouth gave away the image of a feast. “Just give it a rest and leave him alone.”

“Don’t eat all of your food before we meet with Ace and Deuce.” She didn’t look down at her companion as she moved towards the sleeping lion. “You’ll simply complain that you don’t have enough food and start a fight with Ace when he won’t share.”

“Will not.” Grim scoffed.

“Will to; it happened just two weeks ago,” she said offhandedly. There was no heat behind her words as she stayed focused on Leona. She took the quilted blanket off of the basket and unfolded it only to spread it across the young man in front of her.

“How are we gonna get that back?” Grim huffed. “I actually like that blanket!”

“Oh, hush now, Grim,” Adele hefted the picnic basket back up, “it always finds its way back somehow.”

The wind tousled Leona’s hair into his face. His nose twitched before he yawned and swatted the offending strands away. He opened his eyes and the world blearily came into view. He slowly became aware of his limbs and the distinct weight of a blanket on top of him.

With a sigh, he dropped his arms and stared blankly up through the leaves of the trees. He didn’t need to look down to identify the quilted blanket that kept appearing whenever he took naps in the open. Ever since the leaves started changing and the wind started cooling down, as soon as Leona would wake, he would find himself draped in the comforting fabric. At first he didn’t think anything of it, just magicking it away, sending it back from whence it came. The second time it happened, he thought it odd, and the third he thought someone had put a charm on him—helpful if a little aggravating. By the fifth time it happened, Leona got irritated, his tail swishing back and forth behind him in annoyance as he magicked away with a few expletives.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t appreciate the thought that someone thought of him, but Leona Kingscholar didn’t like owing people things. If you owe someone something, it gives them power over you; Leona couldn’t think of anything worse. So, he continued to send the quilt away with a sneer and the familiar, gentle _pop_ that reverberated in the air when a spell was done.

~

“We’re taking the dorm as collateral,” Jade mused. His piercing gaze travelling over Adele and Grim before turning to look at the walls. “All you have to do is get the picture. It’s simple, right?”

Floyd cackled, hanging unceremoniously from his brother’s shoulders, “I’d go upstairs pack some shit, if I were you.”

Adele, not one to be threatened so easily, simply nodded and whisked Grim, hissing and spitting, away towards their shared bedroom. On the outside, she remained calm and focused as she folded her uniform up and set it in her picnic basket. All the while her heart thundered in her chest _. Where will we stay? How would I feed Grim? Should I alert Crowley?_ Her thoughts bounced around in her skull as she grabbed her backpack that held all her school supplies. A familiar quilted pattern caught her gaze and a small smile spread on her face.

“I told you it would come back,” she muttered and plucked the blanket from the chair it sat on and brought it to her chest, relishing the comforting familiarity.

“C’mon, human, let’s get out of here before the twins do something weird.” Grim all but hissed as he stepped out of the room. She nodded, despite the fact that he couldn’t see it, and folded the blanket under her arm. After stuffing it in the basket, Adele pulled out a notepad from her backpack to jot down a quick note before ripping it out and heading down the stairs after him.

Floyd and Jade were snooping around the first floor when she arrived. She could hear Grim before she could see him, angrily chasing behind one twin and swatting at his ankles as he walked by. The sight would’ve been humorous if they weren’t there to kick her out of her own living space.

“I’ll be leaving now, but I wanted to give this to you as a reminder,” Adele approached Jade, who was the least caustic and intimidating to speak with. Jade takes it and scans over her scrawling cursive. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she continued. “The only bedroom I’ve cleaned so far is Grim and I’s; it’s the first one on the left when you go upstairs. The sheets are already cleaned, but don’t move around too much, the bed frame is about to snap.”

Jade’s gaze softened quizzically as she continued. “There are mice that live in the walls, they will come out for breakfast every now and again. I’ve tried to feed them breadcrumbs, but they’re very picky for such small creatures. They like pancakes as a treat every now and again, the recipe is on that paper-,”

“You _feed_ the vermin?” Jade clarified. Adele nodded, unfazed.

“They’re quite small, but they get hungry too,” she said and then made a face as if she remembered something else. “Oh, and the ghosts like to play jazz on the gramophone for about an hour every night, but sometimes it can go on for hours, so be prepared stay awake for a while.”

“Alright, alright, get out of here.” Floyd meandered over to where they stood. He had Grim by the scruff as he spat fire this way and that. Adele swept her bags from the floor and grabbed Grim, careful to avoid any stray embers. Once in her arms, he calms slightly, still puffed up with aggression, but no longer spitting flames.

“I’ll be back with that picture before you know it!” Adele swore as she left Ramshackle.

~

_Heartslabyul_

“I’m sorry, space case, our dorms are all full,” Ace sighed, leaning against his doorway as he took her all in. She looked like a weary traveling witch with her backpack, basket, and cat monster. The dark halfmoons under her eyes were deeper than usual and her smile was weary. “Unless you want to stay on the floor in a room of four guys, but I think Riddle might have our heads.”

“I wouldn’t mind having a girl stay with us,” one of Ace and Deuce’s other roommates snickered behind him, his brown bangs hiding his eyes as he laughed. Another boy, the _other_ -other roommate, also smirked.

“Yeah and the showers are communal.” He spoke conspiratorially making Deuce all but spit out his drink as he rounded on them both.

“I should knock your teeth out, you bastards!” Deuce yelled. His light eyes went wide with rage. Ace winced as he looked back at the scene and closed the door a little bit more so Adele could only see his head instead of whatever was going on behind him.

“Listen, Adele, maybe check with Jack about the Savanaclaw dorms,” Ace suggested, “if not, come back and we can both go, I don’t know, talk to Riddle, I guess.” He sighed as something crashed behind him. “I gotta go make sure Deuce doesn’t kill our roommates, good luck!”

_“Deuce you can’t just piledrive people!”_

As soon as the door was shut, Adele could hear Ace’s voice joining in on the shouting as well as one more large crash followed by a few more small ones. Deciding she was better off without knowing the outcome just yet, Adele turned about face and began her trek towards Savanaclaw.

~

_Savanaclaw_

Despite it being evening, the heat of Savanaclaw’s eternal summer had sweat pooling on her top lip and under her arms, only making her situation more uncomfortable. Jack stood beside her, his tail fluffed up low behind his legs defensively as Leona stared them both down from the perch where he sunned himself.

_“Fine.”_

Leona’s answer was finite and completely unexpected. His gaze was hard on Adele’s form as her eyes widened and her smile grew.

“Thank you, Leona!” She said and tears pricked the backs of her eyes as relief flooded her senses. She wasn’t opposed to sleeping outside; it wouldn’t be the first time she had done it, but the idea of a soft bed melted the tension in her shoulders and eased the wrinkles between her brows.

“C’mon.” Leona languidly descended from his rock and motioned for her to follow him. There were snickers from first years but one look from Jack shut them up fairly quickly.

Adele’s eyes leveled on the crowd dispersing around them as she followed Leona up a set of stairs carved into the side of the stone. She stopped briefly, staring down at the watering hole below them.

“I won’t repeat myself.” Leona’s voice shook her out of her reverie and looking up at him, she found him staring back with intensity. Adele swallowed and quickly followed him up the stairs.

Tense silence fell around their shoulders as Leona led Adele and Grim through hallways and up stairways until they reached his room. By the time they approached his door, Grim had fallen asleep in Adele’s arms, content with the knowledge that they had a place to sleep for the time being. Leona opened the door and moved to take a step, but stopped, as if remembering himself, and motioning for Adele to go first. She nodded in response as she passed by him.

Leona’s room was larger than her own back at Ramshackle. Gray stone made up the walls, each side adorned with earth-toned tapestries and fabrics. Along the far side, the walls were open to the outside with a balcony to look out onto the grounds surrounding the dorm. Clothes were thrown haphazardly across the floor and spilling out of his dresser, reminding Adele of a normal teenager’s room from back home. The thought brought a smile to her face. His bed was larger than her own with blankets and pillows slipping from its surface in a testament to its use. Making one final sweep of the room, she noticed a chase lounge a little further towards the back where the balcony was.

“You can stay here for the night,” he motioned loosely with his arm, “I’ll take the couch, you can sleep on my bed.”

“Also, my bathroom is down the hall, no one should bother you there if you want to bathe.” Leona said before turning back to head down the way they came as Adele set the sleeping Grim down on the chase lounge.

“Pardon?” Adele turned towards him and he narrowed his eyes at her with a sniff.

“You smell like sweat, you probably want to go shower.” He sounded less irritated than usual. If anything, he sounded exasperated. Adele blushed at his words, trying to take a subtle whiff of herself and only getting more embarrassed by the musky scent of her own skin. His gaze leveled at her, forcing her own gaze elsewhere out of shame.

“I’m sorry, I must smell awful to someone with a sensitive nose.” She blabbered and moved to duck outside the door. “I’ll go and take a shower, thank you Leona.”

“It’s not like its bad, but I figured a lady would rather be comfortable.” He turned away. “If you want to be sweaty, be my guest.” He shrugged before taking off at his usual leisurely pace. Without sparing a glance, he spoke once more. “Towels should be in there. If not, just air dry, no one will come up here.”

“Thank you, Leona,” Adele found herself saying for a third time. She watched him disappear down the stairs and if he heard her, he didn’t make it known.

Her shower was quick, but luxurious, and Adele had to admit that as much as she loved Grim and her house ghosts, it was nice to bathe with no interruptions. With a natural-style shower head and the steam rolling around her shoulders, it was easy to imagine that she was bathing under a waterfall in some exotic place. The smell of Leona drowned her senses as she lathered up with his products. It was an unidentifiably spicy mixture of clove, frankincense, saffron, and cedarwood, but it was unmistakably Leona. Adele remembered all the times he would brush past her in the hallways on his way to, presumably, nap the school day away and she would catch notes of this scent on his skin as he passed.

She shut off the water and stepped out into the much cooler stone floor. She found a towel hanging nearby, like Leona said she would, and quickly dried herself off and made quick work of slipping her nightgown over her head before slinking quietly into the dark hallway.

When she reentered Leona’s room, she found him asleep on the chase, an arm thrown over his eyes despite the darkness that encased the room. Lead by the blue flames from his ears, Adele found Grim right where she left him. She gave him a light scratch on the top of his head, earning a little groan and a stretch before he turned the other way and continued snoring. Adele pulled the blanket from the bed and crossed the room to cover Leona. He turned and buried his face in the cushions.

Far from tired, Adele fetched the blanket from her basket and wrapped it around her shoulders to keep the cool of the night from seeping through her nightgown. Stepping out onto the balcony, she looked up in amazement as the night sky opened its starry maw swallowed her whole. Leaning on the balcony railing for support, she took a deep breath. The serenity of the moonlit night easily settled her heart and eased her mind. Thoughts of Azul’s contract and worries of potential overblotting were thrown out the proverbial window as she gazed into the vast openness.

“So that quilt’s yours?” Leona’s deep timbre interrupted her thoughts. Adele turned, but he wasn’t there. He hadn’t emerged from his room yet, leaving his eyes to shine a luminescent green in the darkness as they stared at one another. She rolled the edge of the blanket between her fingers in thought.

“Yes, it is,” she replied as he stepped forward, the moonlight bathing his skin in its cool embrace.

“Do you always go around tucking strangers in while they nap?” Leona arched one of his perfect brows in question as he behind her.

“Not strangers, no.” She replied slowly, “We’re not strangers, Leona.”

Leona paused. No. They weren’t strangers, were they? He huffed.

In his exhausted state, he had woken to find Adele hovering over him as Grim hounded the headmaster about being able to play in the tournament. With ears still ringing and head still pounding, he could only blink slowly and watch her lips form questions his mind couldn’t keep up with as shame burned him from the inside out. A sensation he was uncomfortably familiar with. When he woke again in the infirmary after the exhibition match only to find her asleep in the second bed over, he had rolled his eyes as something akin to worry bubbled just below the surface. His ears twitched and his tail flopped side to side lazily on the bed as he watched her sleep before the nuisances began piling in.

Ever since that day, their relationship had been complicated. Like two ships brought together by the inescapable pull of the tide, they were bound together through the unfortunate memory of his overblot, forever teetering on the edge of a kind of familiarity that made his skin crawl.

“Well could you knock it off?” Leona huffed in indignation. “It’s a hassle to have to send it back to you every time.”

“I’m sorry Leona,” she said dreamily, still stargazing. “I never thought to trouble you, just that you might get cold. Do lions get cold easy?”

Lost in his own thoughts, Leona elected to ignore her question as his eyes fell on her back. Her shoulders hunched as she watched the night. Her dark hair was almost black under the moonlight and it fell over her shoulders in damp curls, wetting the blanket around her shoulders. Adele shifted and Leona dropped his gaze, but not before he could watch her push some hair behind her left ear, where he noticed the familiar silver of scar tissue. Cool dread filled a pit in his stomach and suddenly his limbs felt extraordinarily heavy. Had he done that when he lost control? It was a very real possibility that he had gone after her during their battle and would have to begrudgingly apologize eventually.

“Have you always had that chunk missing from your ear?” He asked, none too kindly, while he slinked closer, choosing to lean on the railing a couple of feet away from her.

Adele raised a hand to her ear absentmindedly, almost as if she had forgotten it was there. “Oh this?” Her smile seemed to strain then, giving a rare glimpse behind the mysterious curtain shrouding her life before Night’s Raven College. Her eyes looked longingly to the sky before falling to the floor and Leona watched her swallow and fidget in place. “I’ve had it since I was a child.”

“Mmn,” He hummed in acknowledgement. Resisting the urge to run the pads of his fingers down the faded ridges running down the left side of his face, he supposed the memory of his overblot wasn’t the only thing tying them together. Perhaps pain would be a particularly powerful ingredient in the cocktail of shared experiences that made up their budding acquaintanceship.

“Have you always had the scar across your eye?” She asked, only mimicking his question out of desperation to change the subject. Once again, her eyes were far away, and she wasn’t truly paying attention, a habit she had when she felt uncomfortable, he noticed.

“I’ve had it since I was a child.” Leona responded with a smirk. Tension left her smile hearing her own words coming from his mouth. Suddenly it felt like the wall between them had started to come crumbling down as understanding took root.

Neither felt the need, nor the desire, to fill the air with words as the night stretched on. Companionable silence settled around them, allowing the symphony composed of frogs, cicadas, and crickets to lull their thoughts as they watched the stars. As time passed, they found solace sitting crisscross on the cool stone of the balcony and somewhere around midnight, Leona began to snore lightly as he lay on the ground next to her. His tail wrapped around her back to settle beside her thigh, flicking to and fro as he lazily dreamed.

Adele smiled down at his sleeping form and pulled the blanket from her shoulders to drape it across the portion of his legs that was pressed against her own, sharing her body heat trapped within. A contented grunt reverberated from Leona’s chest and his tail flicked up and down once more in recognition. In the morning he would complain of a soreness in his body, but tonight, the warmth was more important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, y'all! Please let me know what you think, because Leona is VERY hard to write for because we know he is intimidated by the women from The Afterglow Savannah, and was raised to respect women, but like....he would still be grumpy. Idk....he's a very complex character to write for. OTL


	9. Childhood Scars Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second night, Leona begins to hatch a plan, while some unwelcome feelings begin hatching in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> definitely not beta-read, fresh off the presses! I was eager to continue this one! Most of the characters are going to get more than one chapter where the feelings begin to get a little more intense in multiple different ways!  
> Also, TW; mentions of child abuse! If this is something that upsets you, please skip the first italicized part! <3

_The mug flew from her mother’s hands and exploded on the cupboards behind Adele’s head. Another set of footsteps ran into the kitchen as her mother pushed past the little boy running to check on his older sister. It wasn’t until he was standing, already almost eye-to-eye at age ten, in front of her, words rapidly falling from his lips as he held a wet washcloth to the side of her head that she realized the mug clipped her ear on its journey._

_“You useless bitch, you ruined my life.”_

On the second night in Savanaclaw, Leona found Adele sitting on the balcony with her legs dangling off the edge. She stunk of the sea and her long curls hung heavy and low with salt. She stared blankly out into the night as she did before.

“Yo, herbivore,” Leona called out to her before approaching. “C’mon, quit moping, you only got one more day before that sleazy squid wins.”

Adele didn’t turn and correct him, telling him gently that Azul was an octopus and that even if they didn’t get along, he should be respectful. She didn’t even flinch, but the way her eyebrows knitted together and the swiftness with which she swiped at her face, Leona knew she was crying. He rolled his eyes in exasperation, given he didn’t know how to respond. He wished it were anything but this; comforting people wasn’t something the lion found himself familiar with, having experienced little to no compassion in his youth. The glistening trail her tears left on her cheeks made Leona’s stomach stir in aggravation and his intuition told him that doing nothing would make him feel worse about the situation.

“I can’t do it, Leona.” She whimpered, bringing him out of his own thoughts and into the present. “The Leech twins were there to stop me, and I couldn’t even get to the museum.”

“That’s not a big deal, you have tomorrow too, it’s not like I’m gonna kick you out on the streets.” He scratched the back of his neck lazily. Her tears didn’t stop, and his irritation only grew, “Why are you still crying?” He asked bluntly.

“She was right…”

Leona clicked his tongue in annoyance, his tail swishing low behind him as he moved towards the crying girl. “You’re gonna have to clarify.”

Adele sniffled and remained silent for a moment and Leona felt the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. He refrained, reasoning that patience would yield the most reward. He forced himself to look anywhere but her and his eyes settled on the cat monster sleeping on the chase lounge. Leona envied Grim for being able to sleep through this whole ordeal, but it also made him want to punt him across the campus like a magic shift disk.

Leona’s waiting paid off when Adele took one final sniff and dried her eyes on the edge of the blanket draped over her shoulders. “My mother once told me,” she began shakily, “that I was useless…”

“Well _are_ you useless?” He asked. Seeing Adele in this state reminded him of a lion cub who cried into his pillows at night when the world chose to shut him out roughly fifteen years ago. Words like useless, lazy, good-for-nothing, stung like a dagger twisting in his gut and seeing someone who was anything but was simply salt rubbed into the open wound. Leona’s well of compassion may have dried long ago, but under the layers of sand and sediment, lay groundwater pure and untapped, no matter how it appeared to the untrained eye.

“I don’t-,”

“It’s a yes or no question.” Leona pressured her.

“No, but I-,” Indignation brought color to her cheeks as she turned to look at him, and Leona swore if she were a lioness, her fur would be ruffled.

“Then you shouldn’t spend any more brainpower on it.” He ripped the blanket away from her shoulders and threw it behind him. It landed somewhere amongst the other blankets on his floor.

“Excuse me?” She sputtered and Leona felt himself smirk at the fire he found behind her usually soft, lavender eyes. “I’m sure you can recognize that not everyone can turn their emotions off the way you can, Leona.” The heat behind her words was a welcome distraction against the strong, sudden pull of attraction he felt towards her.

“So she does have claws, interesting,” Leona’s smirk made Adele inhale another shaky breath. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, effectively putting the fire out from within. Leona watched with thinly veiled curiosity.

“I’m sorry, I’m just worried about how Grim will continue to be a student if I lose our housing…And, I’m worried Crowley isn’t even looking for a way to send me home. I’m terrified of the fact that I don’t know if I even want to go home, and I’m worried that if Azul continues this path, he will…he will…” She trailed off realizing that if she continued, she would go all night, feeling the otherworldly weight of her tasks begin to push more tears down her face.

At surface level, her problems were her own: she was a strange girl in a land foreign to her and Leona didn’t care for charity cases. However, underneath layer upon layer of untouched trauma, lay a warm heart that still ached at the sight of a crying woman. Leona shifted from one foot to another before bringing his hands to his hair and ruffling it to ease his own agitation. A groan rumbled from his chest and he sighed once more, realizing what he had to do. 

“Well you can’t solve anything if you’re just going to cry about it.” Leona turned to his bedroom and motioned for her to follow. Begrudgingly she stood and did so. “To get you out of my hair and prove to your mom that you’re not useless, you need to focus on one thing at a time. We need a plan.”

Adele froze in place and stared at his toned back. “We?”

“Yeah, ‘we’, you got a problem with that?” Leona tossed her a look over his shoulder and if she had the keen eyesight like him, she would’ve been able to see the beginnings of a blush dusting across his cheeks.

“No, I’m just pleasantly surprised, Leona,” Her lofty smile was back. “Thank you!”

“Yeah, whatever,” Leona rolled his eyes as he hopped into bed and began to scheme and plot his moves against Octavinelle. The bed dipped under Adele’s body as she sat down beside him and curled under one of the many blankets. Leona’s tail twitched at the sudden movement.

“Go bathe before you crawl up here. I don’t want my sheets smelling like fish piss.” He swatted at her like a common housecat, making her giggle. It was like her earlier vulnerability had never happened. Her closeness and the tinkle of her stifled laughter made his stomach lurch slightly. _Hmm that’s new…and annoying…_

She returned from her shower smelling like him, only furthering the irritating flutter in his chest that flared up when she looked at him. There was a sick part of him that was pleased by the fact that she smelled like him, burning a pit low in his stomach that made him want to reach out and pin her to the bed. For the briefest moment, quicker than a flash of lightning, he took great pleasure in imagining that it irritated any of her first year friends that he had her all to himself upstairs where no one could interrupt him if he wanted to act on these urges.

“Are you okay, Leona?” Adele spoke, shocking him out of his own thoughts. He jumped at her closeness and tutted at her while putting space between them.

“Yeah, I was just thinking.” Her presence reminded him that the fastest way to get her out of his room _and out of his thoughts_ was to solve her issues with Octavinelle, and despite his digression, Leona had a plan. He stood from the bed and stretched once more, ready to relay the information.

“Have you thought up a way to get through those eels?” She asked curiously.

A sick smirk twisted Leona’s lips and he stood as if he were towering over the Octavinelle trio then and there. “Yeah. Azul better be prepared for what’s coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spoiler alert: he wasn't.
> 
> Also, THANK YOU GUYS FOR 100+ KUDOS!! And for all the lovely comments; they make my day!! It really means a lot that people like this story and Adele!  
> Also, I know I put my tumblr in one of the earlier chapters, but I also have an anitwit if you want to come revel in my brainrot. it's @abbo_ani  
> Currently, there's a lot of jjba, hypmic, and twst there sorry no sorry! <3


	10. When You Wish Upon A Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deuce comes to collect Adelaide's wish for the 'Wish Upon A Dream' event!

_Star light, star bright,_

_The first star I see tonight;_

_I wish I may, I wish I might,_

_Have the wish I wish tonight_

“Why Deuce, you look like a painting!” Adele exclaimed as she let him inside her dorm. The star-embellished outfit made Deuce look like a dreamy, otherworldly mural someone would paint on the walls of a nursery. The thought made Adele’s heart swell.

“Ahaha…ah, th-thank you, Adelaide,” Deuce replied shakily. “Have y-you figured out a wish to make?”

Deuce stood in front Adele in the middle of Ramshackle dorm, palms sweating and eyes darting around nervously. He eyed the paintings that hung on the walls, he noticed the nicks in the woodgrain of the stairs, and almost anything he could to stop himself from staring openly and adoringly at the young woman. Cool anxiety lapped at his limbs and he could have sworn that the tips of his fingers and toes were going numb.

“My wish?” Adele asked, tilting her head as if in thought. She switched from one foot to the other, her skirt shifting around her legs while she moved. Deuce’s heart constricted in his chest at the sight of her bathed in the golden evening light. The night was closing in around them and Deuce had to get her wish to complete his list, having saved hers for the very last.

“Y-yeah, I have to get everyone’s, so I just thought that, uh,” Deuce sputtered and embarrassment overwhelmed his anxiety, making him sweat in the ridiculous costume he had to wear as he collected wishes and brought them to the tree. He only hoped Adele was lost in her thoughts and couldn’t see the panic in his eyes.

Ever observant of her surroundings, Adele wished Deuce would find ease around her. She did everything in her power to make him feel welcomed and appreciated, hoping his fear was of women in general and not a fear of _her_. It hurt her heart to see him eye her with such discomposure. It seemed to only get worse at the school year progress, leading her to wonder what she had done wrong.

“This is just painful to watch.” Grim spoke up, having crawled up Adele’s back to rest on her shoulder.

Deuce closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath before attempting to speak once more. “I figured I would save your wish for last.” He brought a hand to rub at the back of his neck and card through the hair at the nape, a self-soothing method he’s used since childhood. “You have the wishing star, don’t you?”

“Well thank you, Deuce!” Her smile was warm and inviting as the dorm she revitalized. She held out her index finger in the universal “give me one moment” gesture as she moved to the couch against the wall to dig through her old backpack. Grim jumped from her shoulder to land gracefully on the upholstery. He padded around in a circle twice before stretching and curling up against himself, not interested in what drama Deuce would bring. Adele rummaged in the backpack beside him, digging past her camera and school supplies, and pulling out the star shaped object to hold it close, a small smile fell on her lips.

“My mother always said that wishing on stars was something that _kids and crazies_ did,” Adele explained, her mood souring at the thought of the woman who gave birth to her.

Deuce sucked in a quick breath, that he briefly hoped was silent. He had never seen her with an expression like that—her soft eyes clouded over with a questionable mix of disdain and affection. She was more beautiful than usual, with thick eyelashes pulling her gaze towards the earth, her jaw set in determination. Despite his admiration, Deuce decided he hated Adele’s mother, or anyone who discounted her. He opened his mouth to speak, to offer comfort, but he closed it just as fast. What could he say to her in the state he was in—sweating and stammering, much too loud and all too quiet in the face of her beauty?

As quick as it had appeared, the clouds parted, and Adele was back. Her easy smile once again on her lips “It’s nice to know that I get to continually prove her wrong.”

“Uh huh.” Deuce didn’t know what she was talking about, but he didn’t care as long as she continued to look at him like that—with happiness and warmth like a balm to the anxiety that rocked through his body. He wanted to be nearer to her, to feel that warmth like sunshine on a cool day, but fear of rejection stayed his feet. He would wait for her touch again, to live in the brief moments of contact they shared.

“I wish I may, I wish I might,” she recited, “Have the wish I wish tonight.”

Adele closed her eyes and hummed before holding the wishing star up to her lips. “I wish to be able to stay with Deuce,” she spoke softly to the star, but that didn’t stop the blush crawling up Deuce’s neck, “and with everyone I love here in Twisted Wonderland. I never want to go home.” She whispered the last bit to the star and held it out.

Deuce took it in his shaky hands, unable to believe it. “You…I’m…one of the people you l-l-l-,”

“Love?” She finished for him thoughtfully. He nodded ferociously, knocking the headpiece to his costume askew on his forehead.

Adele took one step closer to him, gauging his reaction. When he didn’t retreat, she closed the distance between them in two long strides. Gently, she brought her hands above his head to readjust the large circular piece that now covered his left ear. Deuce’s heart hammered in his chest and thundered in his ears. Her breath ghosted his overheated skin as she untangled a piece of chain from his hair.

“Of course, I love you Deuce, you’re one of my dearest friends.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as her hands drifted lower to cup his cheeks in her palms.

Despite his nervousness, despite each and every one of his senses going into overdrive, Deuce found himself closing his eyes and leaning into the touch. She had called him a friend. His mind stilled but his stomach didn’t sink. Disappointment crept around the edges of his consciousness, but he didn’t invite it in. A friend is an honored position to hold, he insisted against the cruel feeling.

Deuce Spade never prided himself on his intelligence, finding himself to be lacking the sharpness that his peers possessed. Despite this truth he acknowledged many years ago, he knew in his heart of hearts that she was giving him the opportunity to stay by her side, and although he may not be able to hold her as close as he did in the dreams that plagued him at night, he could still ensure her happiness as her treasured friend.

Opening his eyes, he found Adele’s pale gaze on him and for the first time that evening, Deuce didn’t look away. Bathed in the heavenly, liquid gold rays of the evening, he gave her a smile as she ran the pads of her thumb against the apple of his cheek. “I adore you, Deuce.”

His heart twanged in his chest, and his smile grew regretful, but did not falter. “And…I you, Adelaide.”

She pulled away and Deuce felt the warmth leave his skin. As if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, his heartbeat returned to normal. Adele’s hands traveled down his arms to take his hands in hers. The skin of her hands was dry from all the work she put into renovating the building that surrounded them, but he couldn’t help but run his thumb over her knuckles.

“Oh, I know!” Adele said, “Do you have time for a dance?”

Deuce’s eyes grew wide and all his previous composure flew out the window, the butterflies returning to flutter in his stomach. “A d-dance!?” he all but squeaked. “I-I don’t know how!” He grimaced at the memory of Kalim and Jamil berating him while they tried to teach him the dance he had to perform for the Star Sending.

“It’s very simple, just do what feels right!” She swept him up in her arms, ridiculous costume and all, as she called for one of the ghosts to put something on the gramophone.

A jaunty tune from way before their time came blasting from across the room and Adele hummed along, having heard it countless times during the ghost’s nightly revelries. Deuce tripped over his feet, and hers, but tried his best to follow her lead, chiding himself. Adele only laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying herself as she swung them in time to the swell of the violins.

Together the duo danced until it was time for Deuce to go hang the wishing stars on the tree behind the school. She wished him a goodnight and for the first time since she arrived, Deuce was able to say a complete goodbye to her as well. She waved to him from the porch, reminding him of his grandmother back home, as he disappeared into the night.

As he made his way across the campus, Deuce could feel tears start to prick the backs of his eyes. He held her wishing star in his hands, letting the gentle heat of it sink into his palms.

_I, Adelaide Dodgson, wish to stay in Twisted Wonderland with the people I love._

Deuce wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand before staring up at the starry sky. He knew that the festival was for fun more than anything, but the idea of fate being kind enough to bring their dreams to fruition was comforting. After all, Deuce and Adele’s wishes weren’t so different.

_I, Deuce Spade, wish for my loved ones’ health and safety… and for Adelaide to want to stay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, it's been a bit, but this event is EVERYTHING to me! I absolutely ADORE stars and moons in any kind of pattern, so it really feels like this event was tailored to me specifically!   
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it gets a little sad and I have no idea how it got like that lmao. I know i'm in charge of what's going on in the page, but sometimes it really does feel like these characters have a mind of their own while I'm writing!   
> Thank you all for the wonderful comments, I love reading them all and they encourage me to do my best while I write! <33


	11. Beauty Sleep Part I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good morning, afternoon, and night to girls, gays, theys, and Vil simps. I am so sorry it's taken me so long to produce a new chapter, so I come offering you food and a peace offering in these trying times! Also holy shit I had to chop this chapter into two separate ones because this first one was 6,073 words!!

_“...a woman not yet seen, but whose perfume accumulates on the horizon like a storm cloud.”_

_― Fernand Dumont, La Région du cœur et autres textes_

A wonderfully vivid quote meant for love and impending heartbreak was also every bit as applicable to the teenage influence sitting in front of her, Adele mused. Vil’s reputation had preceded him like the eerie, green stillness that hung low in the sky before a tornado. Like a storm of sorts, his very nature was oppressive, and he wielded his beauty like a mighty sword, only perpetuating his greatness.

Yet, Adele found herself drawn to him. Despite his harsh words about her standards for herself, despite the fact that she had accidentally carried a mouse in her skirt pocket to his dorm once and earned his ire for weeks. Despite all the things that one might consider non-contending attributes when looking for friends, Adele still found herself sitting with him weekly.

She had originally found herself drawn to the secret garden hidden in the woods surrounding Pommefiore, where she would come to sit for peace and quiet. Rook would join her, every now and again bringing her a snack from the kitchens as they sat on the lush grass and watched nature pass them by. Some days Epel would sit with her of his own volition and others Rook would drag the first year along behind him, a vaguely threatening smile settled on his thin lips.

One day, Adele arrived at the garden and found a new set of iron-wrought, decorative garden furniture, and sitting daintily on one of the comely chairs was Vil Schoenheit. A complete tea set was carefully spread out in front of him. Adele had brought a batch of poppyseed muffins she had baked that morning and set them on the tray. Vil acknowledged her with a nod. Together they sipped tea and spoke extraordinarily little. It was a calming atmosphere for both parties, with the sweet sounds of nature lulled them into a sense of bonding.

“When you first bumbled your way into the entrance ceremony, I thought for certain you were going to get thrown out right away,” Vil mused, holding his teacup to his perfect lips. He eyed Adele over the brim of the cup as he took his first sip of the unsweetened drink. He carefully hid his grimace under his napkin as he dabbed the corners of his lip so as not to smudge his lipstick. “However, you seem to be adjusting well.”

Adele simply smiled before taking a sip from her own cup as her eyes danced around the Pommefiore’s garden. If Vil didn’t know any better, he would’ve said she was nervous. Adele had told him, in the past, that his beauty and mannerisms intimidated her, so perhaps it wasn’t a stretch to think so.

_“You remind me of my mother and my grandmother combined,” she had explained as they stood side by side in potions class. He wanted to tell her to pay attention to what she was doing, that she was only going to mess things up with meaningless conversation, but there was something in the way that she watched him that kept his lips sealed._

_“Something beautiful and terrifying all at once.” She continued and Vil merely clicked his tongue._

_“Are you scared of me, Adelaide?” Vil arched one perfect brow as he spared her a sideways glance._

_“Not scared, just intimidated,” she admitted quietly. Vil smirked at her honesty._

Despite her own feelings, or perhaps in an attempt to dissuade them, Adele had taken to showing up at Pommefiore and dragging whoever she could into a weekly tea party among the lush, fragrant gardens. Aside from her very own fairy-grown patch of green in front of Ramshackle, the Pommefiore garden was one of her favorite places on campus. Heartslabyul’s rose bushes were gorgeous as could be, but if she took any step towards the dorm, she would be swarmed by her friends, leaving peace to be desired. Besides, the flower beds outside Pommefiore’s walls were filled to the brim with a variety of colors and scents that reminded her of strolling through the perfume department of a high-end store. It was, for lack of better words, magical.

With a spell cast to keep it warm year-round, bushes filled with jasmine grew low and wide in the shadow of the largest tree, while honeysuckle clung to trellises the previous dorm head had placed. Geranium, sweet alyssum, heliotrope, and all the rest flourished in the greenspace. Vil wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he didn’t possess the green thumb the previous dorm head did, so he arranged to have a few of the first years take on the chores of the land, while he harvested the blooms to craft cologne and other parfums.

Seemingly in her own world, Adele didn’t respond to his comment. Vil simply watched her as he daintily sipped from his cup, the bitter taste getting easier to handle every time he did. His mind drifted to the upcoming school festival. The preparations were underway, with everyone flitting this was and that, but there was still much to be done. _For instance_ , he eyed the girl in front of him keenly. _What are we to do about you?_

Adele’s name was whispered around the campus like some kind of taboo, so it didn’t take long for words of the question of her place in the festival to reach Vil’s perfect ears. Riddle had thought long and hard about the matter but came up short. He had asked the rest of the dorm heads their thoughts during the meeting, but no one had any idea. With the amount of media coverage, the school was about to get, it wouldn’t bode well for the outside world to see how their sorting system via carriages and mirrors had failed by bringing a female non-magic user into their campus. Kalim had thought to play the angle that they were helping her, but it still seemed shady.

_“Perhaps we could pass her off as a backup singer for the performances?” Lilia offered and Vil simply shook his head._

Vil knew that in the very heart and nature of her being, Adele was not grandiose. She was feminine and kind, traits that were sorely missed in an all-boys school, but there was nothing about the girl’s physical appearance that stood above the women Vil associated with on the set of modeling shoots, commercials, or films. Vil appreciated Adele’s manners, her practically perfect posture, and the way her words seemed to drip with the sweetness of the treats she baked in Ramshackle’s kitchen. In that regard, he could admit that she had a homely, domestic sort of beauty—the kind that was inherent and could stand out if she spared more time for herself—he simply didn’t see a need to put her on stage.

_“No, she’s not ready for the limelight and I don’t have time to train her AND the ones that make the cut,” he explained. “Why don’t we pass her off as a reporter staying here to do behind-the-scenes stories for the festival?”_

As he studied her, Vil noticed Adele’s eyes lingering in one spot. He followed her gaze only to have his stomach sink to the floor, for standing in the immaculately landscaped archway alongside their headmaster, Crowley, was none other than his rival, Neige LeBlanche.

Crowley ushered the teen through the threshold and towards their, now ruined, tea party. The distinct sound of ceramics being pushed to their limited urged Vil to loosen his grip on the handle of the poor teacup he was about to dismantle. None too gently he sat the cup back on its dedicated saucer and dabbed at the corners of his mouth.

“Good afternoon Headmaster Crowley,” Adele spoke gently as she always did, beckoning both men closer. “Would you and your friend care for tea?”

“I’m sure they’re both busy, Adelaide.” Vil spoke harshly, startling even himself. In his mind, all he could hear was _Mira Mira_ ’s synthesized voice as it declared the Neige was the most searched name when it came to beauty. It was the moment he felt his unbothered, untouchable façade beginning to crack.

“Never too busy to extend my graciousness and time to my students and guests,” Crowley crooned, placing both hands on the shorter man beside him. “Vil, you have worked with him before, but Neige here hasn’t met our _photographer_.”

“Of course,” Vil’s smile was easy and inviting; his effervescent façade hiding the irritation roiling inside as he motioned for the guests to sit down.

Neige sat closest to Vil, while Crowley took a spot next to Adele. “Adele, my dear, this is Neige LeBlanche. He’s one of our performers at this year’s festival,” Crowley explained as he helped himself to the tea cakes laid out on the table. “Neige, this is Adele, she’s a _photographic journalist_ staying with us to get a behind the scenes look at festival prep.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Neige,” Adele regarded him kindly. “Would you care for a tea cake?”

“Thank you, Miss Adele!” Neige’s smile was bright, with naturally red-tinted lips parting to display his perfectly straight, pearly white teeth. He took two of the tiny sweets onto his napkin and began to nibble on one daintily. A pleased hum reverberated from the teen’s throat after he swallowed the sugary treat. “It’s delicious, did you make it yourself?”

“I did!” Adele replied, gently smoothing the napkin in her lap. “Feel free to have as many as you like, Vil doesn’t ever eat too many of them.” She smiled up at her senior, who pretended not to see.

“They’re quite good,” Vil commented, “Though, I’ve had my fill. I don’t want to risk my calorie count over decadence.” He sniffed, looking down at the shorter teen with disdain.

“You count calories, Vil?” Neige asked, his dark eyebrows knitted together, “I wish I had the determination that you do. I’m afraid I overindulge with sweets every now and again.” He says shyly, scratching at the crumbs on the sides of his lips.

“Yes, unfortunately some of us have to work very hard for the things we want, Neige.” Vil spoke evenly before plucking his teacup from the saucer and taking another sip.

Adele looked between the two young men warily. “You attend Royal Sword Academy, don’t you Neige?” She asks, changing the subject quickly. “What is it like?”

Neige’s face lit up at the question, his smile quickly returning. “It’s so nice!” He exclaimed and proceeded to describe the light, airy atmosphere of his school. “There’s even a garden like this one in my dorm, but it’s a lot bigger!”

Vil sighed into his teacup silently, willing himself not to roll his eyes as Adele cooed and crowed in awe. Neige ate two more sweets as he continued to explain his dorm life to her. In his mind’s eye, Vil began calculating the calories he was indulging in, and figuring out just what he would need to burn to keep his perfect physique. A typical petit four contains around 60 calories. Within that piece are approximately 40 calories of carbohydrates, 16 calories of fats and 4 calories of proteins. And Neige had just eaten _four_ of them unapologetically.

The younger teen’s seemingly effortless beauty irritated and confounded Vil to no end, causing snake-like tendrils of jealousy to coil in his guts, churning the contents of his stomach into something horrendously unlike him. The urge to leave the so-called tea party began to rise and just as his legs twitched to move, Adele yawned.

She clasped an embarrassed hand over her mouth as a light blush crawled up her neck. “I’m so sorry, Neige, I didn’t mean to yawn during your story!” Her eyes were incredibly apologetic.

“Did you not sleep well last night, Adelaide?” Crowley asked, though Vil couldn’t discern if his concern was real or just honeyed words in front of a celebrity guest.

“How many times have I told you that a good night’s rest is imperative to not only your beauty, but your wellbeing?” Vil demanded, already irritated over Neige’s presence, and now having to repeat himself, he felt himself at the very brink of getting flustered, something he never did.

Adele shrugged off his attitude, used to his high expectations. “I try my best, Vil, but I simply can’t fall asleep.”

“That explains the horrid bags under your eyes.” Vil muttered, displeased. He briefly wondered if sleep was the only part of a daily regimen that she neglected.

It was Neige’s turn to watch the exchange. The young teen found himself a little disquieted by his senior’s harsh words. Choosing to smile at the girl, he said, “Well, perhaps you can get one of the professors to mix you a small vial of sleeping potion?”

Neige’s sudden helpfulness only added fuel to the fire that was Vil’s irritation, and suddenly he found himself making an offer. “Why bother going to one of them, when I can make you one right here in Pommefiore?”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Crowley remarks dramatically. “Vil is our best potions student, so, it would truly be a testament to both his skill as well as his noble heart.”

Vil only pretended to ignore the praise from his headmaster as he relished in the amazed gaze he earned from his rival. Vil turned the thought around in his head; if he could craft a perfect sleeping potion and post it on his _MagiCam_ story, it would demonstrate his ability as well as his beauty. It would surely send his follower count to the skies, high above Neige’s current number, and that thought alone was enough to get him to stand from his seat to his full height, a few inches added by the heels he wore.

All eyes were on him in myriad expressions, curiosity, awe, and a notable endeared softness. Vil felt right at home with the numerous gazes on his form; it was only right that he be looked upon in reverence by everyone.

“Very well, we’ll cut this tea party short, then.” Vil said as he smoothed out any wrinkles in his uniform and held out a perfectly manicured hand for Adele to take. “Come along, Adelaide, and don’t forget your coat. It’s cold outside the garden.”

“Alright,” Adele replied, taking his large, soft hand in hers and allowing herself to be pulled up. It always amazed her just how manly his hands were despite the care he took in beautifying himself.

Plucking her peacoat and scarf from the back of her chair, Adele delicately slipped her arms through the sleeves and buttoned one of the buttons for the short walk to the dorm entrance, leaving the scarf to hang loosely around her shoulders.

“Fix your collar,” he reprimanded her. She did as she was told, her usual smile in place as she set the collar low around the base of her neck. She waved to the two still at the table, already missing the kind, rolling conversation.

“Have a nice rest of your afternoon, you two!” said Adele as she turned away.

“Wait, Miss Adele,” Neige called out before she could step away, his arm raised halfway. Adele met his kind eyes with curiosity. “I’ll be staying here at the college for the week, I was wondering if I could have tea with you again before I leave?”

Her smile grew, “I would be honored to have another tea party with you, Neige.”

Neige brought his hand back to rest on his chest happily, “I’m glad!”

“As lovely as this is, we have work to do,” Vil ushered the girl towards the garden entrance with his large hand splayed on her lower back.

The chill of the winter air nipped at Adele’s cheeks and turned her nose bright pink as they exited the magical warmth of the garden. She had completely forgotten about the snow piled high outside the reach of the ward covering the green space behind them. Multiple inches of soft, white powder covered every surface her eye could spot.

Vil, dressed in his usual school uniform, seemed impervious to the cold that surrounded them.

“Are you not cold, Vil?” Adele asked, finally wrapping her scarf around itself and tucking it into her coat for warmth against the frigid breeze that dusted her with snowflakes it picked up along the way.

“No,” he replied simply. She watched his breath come out in gentle puffs, looking much like a stately dragon. The image caused brought an amused smile to her lips, but she kept her musings to herself as he continued. “My homeland is known for its freezing winters; this is nothing I’m not used to.”

His self-assured smirk made Adele look at him; really look at him. When he allowed the person under the mask to peek through, he was more handsome than ever. The way his smirk hung lopsided on his tinted lips and brought his high cheekbones up to gently wrinkle the skin around his lavender eyes made him look every bit the teenage boy he was and not the influencer the rest of the world saw.

Like a lightning strike, the smirk was gone as fast as it had come, leaving his serene expression in its wake. Adele only wrinkled her brow in concern.

“Where is your homeland?” She asked as they neared the entryway of the dorm. Vil moved to hold the door open for her, motioning for her to go ahead of him.

“I’m from The Land of Pyroxene.” He answered as passed by with a nod of thanks.

The warmth of Pommefiore’s grand hall was inviting. All the fireplaces were lit, flagging the rich, violet interior with a pleasant light. Some students were perched beautifully on the settees, their arms and legs folded gracefully, while a handful of them sat together at a nearby table trying to figure out a difficult problem scrawled on a piece of parchment. Vil passed them all, giving each and every student a chilling once-over, and it seemed the entire room held their breath until his elegant legs landed him in front of a sprawling staircase. Among the students milling about in Vil’s wake, someone offered to take Adele’s coat and scarf from her. She gave them a thanks and stepped quickly to make it back to Vil’s side as he took the stairs with his naturally long strides.

“It’s a country where the castles touch the skies and the forested mountains are topped with snow year-round.” He explained as they ascended the carpeted stairs together.

“I remember Jack telling me you grew up together,” she mused aloud. “It makes sense that a wolf would come from a colder climate.”

“That is true,” Vil chimed in agreement, “Jack is truly in his nature when the snow starts falling. I wouldn’t put it past him to be out in the cold right now.” A fond smile graced his features and Adele could’ve sworn he had never looked more beautiful than in that moment.

She was shaken from her reverie by Vil leading her away from the stairs on the third floor. The duo continued wordlessly down a long hallway that was equally as extravagant as the rest of the dorm. Vil swiftly turned the corner and shuffled her into a dark room.

With a flick of his wrist, the lights came to life overhead. The room was small, circular, and the shelves were built into the walls from floor-to-ceiling. Hundreds of books, scrolls, and loose pieces of parchment lined the shelves within arm’s reach. Adele had to squint to discern what exactly she saw towards the ceiling, but it looked like the rest of the shelves were filled to the brim with containers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. There were fat, squatty glass bottles filled with bubbling liquids, heavy enough to bow the shelf under its weight, and some of the skinnier glasses could be mistaken for test tubes full of shimmering, translucent ooze.

Adele found herself swooning in the mysticism surrounding her. Vil watched her with careful eye as he donned his lab coat and goggles.

“Don’t touch anything, little potato.” He urged, “There’s enough ingredients in here to cause quite some damage if handled incorrectly.”

“And you know what to do with all of them?” Adele asked, looking at her reflection shift and change in a particularly dark, lumpy liquid.

“Do you take me for a fool?” Vil had to remind himself not to sneer to keep fine lines out of his face, but his voice held the bite he needed.

Adele turned towards him, blinking in question. “No, I find you fascinating,” she replied, “You’re so intelligent and alluring that you seem like a fairytale prince!”

Her expression of awe pulled at his heart, finding himself a little guilty by his first harsh response. Yet her words stroked his ego and Vil found himself preening; he stood taller, pulling his shoulders back and pushing his chest forward proudly. “That’s very kind of you to say, Adelaide.”

Vil handed over the lab coat and extra set of goggles in gentle manner, reminding himself that despite his plan to post his good deed all over every social media account, he was still here to _help_ her. A sleeping potion was simple to make, so the act was killing two birds with one stone—earn more followers than Neige and make himself (and Adele) look better by giving her a good night’s rest. “Put these on, little potato.”

As she dressed, Adele spoke, nonchalantly making conversation. “Thank you for offering to help me, Vil!”

Before he could speak, she continued, “I’m grateful that Neige suggested this. He’s truly kind, don’t you think?”

Vil practically snapped the goggles down over his eyes as he gritted out, “That he is.”

Vil warned her to stand back as he began his work. To Adele, it looked like some kind of fantastical dance routine with the way he elegantly darted from one side of the room to the next in one or two effortless steps. He uncorked bottles with a _‘pop’_ and a _‘sizzle’_ , pouring the perfect amount every time. Everything he did appeared flawless.

Little did she know, the chaos of Vil’s sheer irritation of her bringing that little tartlet up once more clouded his vision. Second place burned like a pyre in his heart and distracted him enough to not notice his own hands pouring two extra drops from a bottle labeled _Tincture of Shadow_.

~

“Ace!” Grim’s sharp tenor rang throughout the Heartslabyul dorm lounge, followed by a series of crashing noises. “Deuce! Ace!”

Ace and Deuce, who had previously been in the middle of a game of cards in the lounge stood quickly upon hearing the cat monster’s various yelps. It wasn’t too long before he appeared before them, his tiny chest heaved with every breath, left naked without his usual brooch and ribbon. His blue eyes were wide and darted between all the faces in the lounge, now staring at him. He easily picked out his friends and ran up to them, nearly slamming into Deuce’s pant leg in his haste.

“Whoa, where’s the fire, furball?” Ace cocked an eyebrow at him, but the awful feeling in his stomach took the gaiety from his words. He glanced around at the other Heartslabyul students who pretended they weren’t eavesdropping on the strange first years.

Deuce crouched down, concern in his eyes, “What’s wrong, Grim?”

Grim’s eyes darted from Ace’s to Deuce’s before swallowing thickly, his breathing calmed enough to speak. “It’s Adele.”

Deuce shot up like a rocket, scooping Grim into his arms as he went. Sparing one glance and a nod at Ace, the trio set out at a breakneck pace down the hallway. Together they bounded down the steps of the dorm and out into the garden, where they immediately ran into Cater.

“Whoa, hey guys what’s the rush-,”

“No time!” Deuce pushed past the senior and continued on. Cater ran a hand through his hair in confusion but shrugged it off before looking down at his phone and heading inside.

Upon getting through to the mirror room, the trio started down the large corridor with their eyes set on Main Street—the quickest way to reach Ramshackle in a short span of time.

“Alright, tuna melt, spill it, what’s wrong with Adele?” Ace heaved out as they sped through the hallways and down the stairs of the main building. Whatever was bad enough that Grim left without his ribbon lovingly tied on was a serious matter.

Grim ignored the pet name for urgency’s sake. “She wouldn’t wake up this morning.”

Ace slowed for a moment, “Are you kidding me? It’s _Adele_ we’re talking about,” Ace whined as if he worried for nothing. “She’s always oversleeping or running late somehow!”

“Not like this.” Grim insisted. “She normally responds when I call her name or step on her, but she didn’t move!”

“You step on her?” Deuce looked down in his arms at the cat monster, who grumbled.

Ignoring Deuce, Ace’s eyebrows knitted together. “Something’s not right…”

“That’s what I’m telling you!”

~

With the world blanketed in the multiple inches of snow, the grounds of Ramshackle were eerily silent by the time the trio reached it shambling steps. Deuce gently opened the front door and kicked the doorframe to get any excess snow off while Ace strode right in.

The two fairies tending to the large hearth turned when they entered, tinkling with their own little speech, though foreign to the ears present. They shook their heads solemnly as they watched the boys take the stairs two at a time to reach the dorm head’s bedroom.

_Quiet…._

_Adele…_

_Slumber…_

_Cold…_

_Fire…_

Deuce was the one to burst into her room first, breathless and weary. Grim jumped from his shoulder and landed with a perfect thud on the hardwood floors. The morning light trickled in from between the blinds to settle across her serene features. Her dark braid flopped haphazardly across the pillow under her head and her lips were parted just slightly as if she were asking for a kiss. Her chest rose and fell with gentle, slow breaths.

Floating silently above her bed were the three ghosts that haunted the dorm’s halls. The largest one had taken off his hat, holding it against his chest in respect as they watched her slumbering in her bed. They spared the teenagers a solemn glance before disappearing, evaporating into the air. The house seemed to sigh around them, leaving a low feeling in their hearts.

“She’s been like this since last night,” Grim reported, the light padding of his paws sounding against the wood as he stepped closer. “She’s unresponsive.”

Rising to the challenge, Ace cracked his knuckles.

“Alright, space case, it’s time to get up.” He shouted, stomping towards her, and ruining the image of perfection Deuce was admiring. “If I find out you’re pranking us, I’m gonna shove snow down your uniform!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation, Deuce waited to see if Ace’s method produced any results.

Adele did not open her eyes. She didn’t even twitch in her sleep.

The urge to laugh nervously bubbled up and hitched Ace’s voice as he tried to remain calm and give Deuce a wry look. “What if it’s a true love’s kiss situation, you know, like in the stories?”

“Ace, this isn’t the time to start making jokes!” A furious flush crawled up Deuce’s neck to settle on his cheeks.

“Yeesh, you’re hopeless.” Ace waved him away, his own heart beating fast in apprehension as he took her by the shoulders and shook her limp form in a none-too-gentle manner.

“Adele, c’mon, the joke’s up.” He lifted her shoulders from the bed once more and let her free fall, much to Deuce’s annoyance. Dread settled in his stomach, heavy as if he had swallowed a dumbbell, as her head lolled to the side

Panic began to rise in Ace’s chest. “H-hey, space case, you’re scaring me a bit.”

“Did someone put a spell on her? O-or a curse?” Deuce wandered aloud, Ace’s panic transferring to him.

“What’s wrong with you, Adele, why won’t you just wake the fuck up?” Ace’s mouth went dry and his stomach sank as he laid her back down and ran his hands over the soft skin of her face. He lifted her eyelids only to get a wave a nausea at the sight of the veins of her the underside of her eyeballs that had rolled back in her skull, heavy with sleep. He smushed her cheeks together and felt frustrated tears prick the backs of his eyes. He swiped at his face before they could fall.

Deuce clenched and released his fists in a way to soothe himself, trying desperately to avoid the terrible thoughts creeping around the edge of his consciousness. Never one to be good with his own emotions, especially when it came to NRC’s only female student, his deep blue eyes darted around the room for a clue as he tried not to think about his comatose friend.

“Did you see anything strange yesterday, Grim?” Deuce started a low conversation with the cat monster as he slunk to his hands and knees.

“Not that I can remember…” Grim lifted a paw to rest on his chin. “We got out of the bath and she dried me off-,”

“You bathe with her!?” Deuce was, once again, taken aback.

“Will you calm down and focus?” Grim rolled his eyes, “Are all humans are so touchy about nakedness?”

“I just, no, it’s not—I mean…ugh!” Deuce huffed in embarrassment; his words lost. Crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head away from the knowing gaze of the cat monster, something shiny caught his eye.

Nestled in the space between the bed and the nightstand, where Grim’s ribbon remained untouched, was a thin, delicate-looking glass bottle. Deuce reached for it, his gloved hand dwarfing the cool glass edges. It looked like a miniature decanter with a diamond shaped cork. It was extremely intricate for such a small container.

“Ace, look at this.” Deuce lifted the glass to inspect it in the beams of sunlight. Ace dropped Adele and whipped around so fast he fell off the bed and onto the floor, where Grim met them both out of curiosity.

“Is that a potion vial?” Ace asked, quickly recovered, and snatched the vial from his friend’s hand to get a closer look.

“Gyah! Now I remember!” Grim jumped, making the boys jump in turn as well, “Adele got back from her tea party with the Pommefiore dorm head yesterday and said that he gave her something to help her sleep!”

“A sleeping potion!?” Deuce shouted. “Aren’t sleeping potions only supposed to last a few hours?”

Ace’s eyes drifted back to the girl bundled up in her blankets, her hand dangling limply from the side of the bed. If he remembered anything from his potions classes, it was that a sleeping potion’s effect could last up to 10 hours depending on the strength of the draught, but that was only a beginner’s potion. “If Vil’s the one who mixed it for her, it must be a complex one…” He thought aloud.

The thought of a powerful potion was a lot less scary than someone laying a curse on her, and Ace felt the tension in his shoulders dissipate. Knowing there was a high possibility for an antidote lifted the weight from his shoulders and he almost felt like laughing. _Someone as perfect as Vil messed up something this simple?_

“Can’t we just undo it with a spell?” Grim asked as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Oh yeah, that’s right, we could always just cast a _Dispelling_ charm on her!” Deuce agreed happily. Frustrated silence settled between them as Ace deadpanned. He stared the two nitwits down incredulously.

“Do either of you know how to cast a _Dispelling_ charm?” Ace crossed his arms over his chest and watched an argument start and end as Deuce opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

“Ah…no.” Deuce admitted, a pink tint coloring his cheeks. “That’s on next semester’s syllabus.”

“Why don’t we go find Vil and demand he wake her up?” Grim asked. Ace and Deuce spared a glance at Adele’s sleeping form before looking at each other and nodding.

Deuce lingered behind as Ace and Grim thundered down the stairs. He took her hand in his and gently folded her arm over her torso. He pulled the blanket up to her chin and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Still she didn’t move.

Deuce sighed and turned to leave, sparing her one last glance before stepping through the doorway. It took all of his energy not to be angry, especially since they had only just been beaten in a spare with Vil for interrupting Epel’s singing practice. Picking fights with his upperclassman wouldn’t aide him on his journey to become an honor student, but there was something about seeing the Adele’s motionless form splayed out that made him want to throw the whole notion out and attack like a feral animal.. He clenched and unclenched his fists once more to calm down. “I promise we’re going to figure this out and wake you up, Adele.”

~

As it was his free period, Vil spent his time in the lounge, scrolling through his various social media accounts and fretting over the numbers until the sound of the front door slamming against the wall brought his head up in a snap.

“I’m looking for a pompous, perfumed asshole!” Ace demanded as he burst through the front door. Deuce put a finger to his lips and shushed him, turning to one of the nearby students and apologizing. Ace’s eyes landed on Vil’s lavender ones among the now crowd of students, a snarky smirk settling on his lips.

“You cannot possibly be referring to me,” Vil said incredulously, until he realized the first year was pointing a finger accusatorily at his lounging form. “Ah. I suppose you are.”

“Yeah, I’m here for reparations.” Ace’s smirk didn’t leave his lips, even as Deuce rolled his eyes and tried to make him stop. “Your stupid potion-,” Deuce clamped a hand over his mouth and shot an apologetic look at the upper classman.

“What he means to say is that, uh,” Deuce paused for a second to catch his thoughts as the crowd gathering in the lounge continued to grow. Ace wrangled himself free from Deuce’s grasp and put his hands on his hips.

“What I’m saying is that you’re not the great potion master you think you are, Mr. Perfect.” Ace taunted.

Vil stood languidly from his seat, disturbingly calm, and sheathed his phone in the pocket of his uniform as he stepped lightly towards the younger teens. It happened so quickly that Deuce didn’t even have time to react as Vil grabbed Ace by the collar, steadied himself on his high heels, and then heaved the younger boy back out into the cold. Ace face-planted in a mound of snow with a light crunch.

“I will not take accusations lightly.” Vil warned, eyeing Deuce, and taking in Grim’s nakedness. “And you! Where is your uniform? Monster or not, running around naked simply will not do; you understand this yes?”

Grim yelped as Vil snatched him up by the scruff of his neck and tossed him out beside the redhead who was recovering from his face full of snow. Vil’s striking eyes settled on the darkhaired boy left. Deuce put his hands up in a universal symbol of peace before extending his hand, open palm up.

Sitting in his palm was the empty vial Vil himself had handed over to Adele yesterday. Vil’s perfect eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he took the cool glass in his own hand.

Vil wasn’t accustomed to feeling a proverbial rug being pulled from underneath him. He was number one. The top. The King. And yet…he found the skin of his palm burning with unease under the weight of this tiny, insignificant potion bottle.

“Did you offer Adele a sleeping potion yesterday?” Deuce asked, putting the final nail in the coffin crafted by Vil’s own hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh! we're really in it now, adele!! 
> 
> Thank you for those of you who read and leave comments, it keeps me coming back to this collection of oneshots! Most everything I write it self-indulgent so it's nice to see others enjoying it too! <3


	12. Beauty Sleep Part II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After accidentally putting Adele to sleep, Vil has to live with the aftermath as he tries to find ways to wake her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aren't y'all excited that I made you wait for months just to read nearly 8,000 words of Vil having a mental breakdown????

Standing at the threshold, Rook studied the scene in front of him very carefully, his keen eye taking note of the room to file away for later. Adele’s room was…rustic, if he was being kind. It had a charm about it, much like the girl asleep in the bed pushed against the far corner. The floors creaked underfoot, and the walls seemed to sag with age, yet somehow, Adele had made it feel like a home. Pictures of her various friend groups clung to the wallpaper, a single red rose rested in a thin vase on her bedside table, and bits of her uniform were folded over each and every surface, leaving the room feeling lived in. Rook’s gaze landed on Adele and an eerie stillness fell upon the room.

Adele slept, peacefully unmoving for days as Vil, exhausted and desperate, sat hunched over her bedside. A vial of dark green liquid clutched in his hands as he watched for any reaction. Dark smudges replaced the crisp lines of eyeliner that rimmed his eyes from sleepless nights. Letting out a growl, Vil brought a manicured hand down his gaunt cheek to rub the itchy five o’clock shadow that seemed to grow daily despite his constant upkeep.

Rook quietly stepped into the room, a bowl of cool, fresh water in hand and a clean rag resting on his shoulder. He approached the scene the same way he would a big game hunt; quiet and even. The bed creaked under his added weight as he sat by Adele’s side. Feeling Vil’s eyes boring holes through his uniform, Rook spoke as he removed his gloves and hat.

“Perhaps you were distracted while concocting and laid a-,” Rook started, but Vil rounded on him. The frenzied look in his violet gaze sparked cool flames of unease in Rook’s stomach.

“Do you think I’m so stupid that I wouldn’t be able to tell if I cursed her or not?” Vil spat. The force and motion let loose the rest of his hair from his messy bun. The blonde tendrils fell around his shoulders in greasy clumps. After trying to run a hand through his hair and realizing its state, Vil wiped his hand on his pants in disgust. A shaky sigh left his lips; a physical manifestation of the fight leaving his tired and aching body. “I’ve already tried releasing it, but it wasn’t a curse. At the very least, it’s not one of mine.”

Trying to pretend unaffected, Rook simply hummed as he loosened Adele’s braid to run a lavender oil mixture through the strands – to keep them fresh – before deftly twirling her chocolate curls back into place as he had every other day since she fell unconscious. Vil’s words may not have stung, but Rook was harshly aware what this failure meant to his dorm head.

“Maybe it’s time we call the headmaster for help?” Rook suggested gently as he dipped one edge of the rag into the bowl.

“No!” Vil shouted. The sound of shattering glass had Rook sitting up straighter on the bed. The wallpaper sizzled and began peeling away where the dark green liquid burst and dripped towards the floor. Two pairs of eyes rested anxiously on the mess.

Embarrassed and uncomfortable, Vil turned away from the huntsman to hunch over Adele’s bed once more.

“I’ll take my leave.” Rook said to the air as he gently gathered the items he had brought with him.

With two long, silent strides, and the click of the door latch, Rook disappeared and Vil was alone. Alone with nothing but his thoughts the gentle breaths from Adele’s parted lips. Violet eyes bore holes into the bed sheets as he avoided looking at her serene features. The gravity of his misdeed sent the cold weight of dread sinking in deeper in his stomach every time he so much as glanced at her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of himself in a large shard of glass from the potion bottle he had thrown. His gaze was met on equal grounds with the sight of red-rimmed eyes and the thick beginnings of facial hair, the image of desperation.

Before he could fall prey to despair, the familiar jingle of a MagiCam notification pulled his attention away and sobered him up. He hadn’t updated in a week, there were countless comments and messages inquiring about him and his content. His content. It was always content and product placement… _Had anyone asked after his health_ , he wondered, eyes trailing across the bed to Adele’s face.

The past week had been nothing but visit after visit from students Adele had made plans with. Each and every individual asked after her and it took everything Vil had in him to keep from snapping when they tried to enter the dorm. One after another they came like clockwork, and every time he turned them away, something akin to bitter understanding grew in Vil’s heart.

From the first moment he first laid eyes on Adele, Vil wondered what was it that drove the school’s boys to their knees. It wasn’t her beauty, he deduced. In his eyes, she was plain; she put no effort into her appearance, choosing to dress in her homely manner and spend no time with makeup. And yet, there was something about her that drew you in and held you captive to her. What it was exactly still escaped Vil’s grasp. 

_“Oh, what a shame, the poor girl.”_

_“She had promised to help with-,”_

_“We had a tea party planned and-,”_

_“Poor Adele, she was going to show me how to-,”_

Despite her exhausted state, Adele had continued to give and care about those around her. Was this level of graciousness, this positivity, what drew others in? Was that cocktail so enticing it could override aesthetic or anatomical beauty? 

A loud knocking interrupted his thoughts and irritation bubbled up in his chest once more. Who could it possibly be now?

“Adelaide, you simple girl, do you know the whole damn student body?” Vil muttered venomously.

_Day 1_

Ace and Deuce peered under and over Vil’s shoulders as they watched Grim poke and prod at Adele’s prone form. Vil, with lips pursed into a thin line, tutted, and turned away, already plotting and planning multiple ways to wake her from her slumber. It would be a simple fix for someone of his knowledge and pedigree.

Away from the prying eyes of the first years, Vil worried his lip for a brief second. The immediate danger his reputation would suffer if this were to leak was immense. He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn’t posted anything about the potion or Adele. He had wanted to wait until he had before and after pictures, and once again he found himself relieved at the power of his brilliant forethought.

“I’m going to fetch a grimoire from my study,” he announced and started towards the door, stopping just short at the threshold to take a steadying breath. “Don’t let anyone else into Ramshackle and don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”

Ace made a face at his retreating form. “’ _Don’t do anything stupid until I get back!_ ’ Pfft, shut up.” He mocked as he sat on the foot of the bed, absentmindedly pushing Adele’s limp foot back and forth.

Deuce crossed his arms over his chest and huffed as he paced the room, “What could WE possibly do that could be considered stupid while Adele’s life is on the line!?”

Grim blinked twice at the duo slowly before raising an eyebrow, “Do you want an itemized list or…?”

Ace cackled and reached out to slap the cat-monster off the bed good-naturedly. “Shut up, man!”

Just as Grim landed on the hardwood, there was a loud banging on the front door. Glances were exchanged in rapid succession as panic settled around the room. Ace and Deuce scrambled to the hallway and down the stairs.

“Rainbowfish open up!” Floyd’s voice was muffled through the door but caused both boys to stop in their tracks.

“Aw shit it’s the Leech twins.” Ace ran a hand down his face in a brief moment of panic. “Floyd’s not gonna take ‘no’ as an answer…” He grumbled and spared a glance at Deuce, who looked like a nervous animal the way he was shifting from the door to the stairs.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” Ace called back and moved to open the door, but it slammed against the wall before he could reach it, displaying Floyd with his leg in the air, poised in the perfect kick.

“We’re coming in-,” Jade announced calmly, shutting the door behind him as Floyd rushed the duo at the foot of the stairs.

“What are the crab and mackerel doing in Ramshackle?” Floyd’s smile grew as he stared the younger boys down.

“Wh-what are _you_ doing in Ramshackle?” Deuce retorted, trying to look nonchalant by leaning on the stairwell and failing miserably. The knowing gazes of the twins watched him stumble backwards before catching himself on the railing. Jade quirked an eyebrow at Floyd, who matched his look in kind.

“Adele had a shift at The Mostro Lounge that she missed earlier, and she wasn’t answering her phone,” Jade explained, his usual smile set in place. “We wanted to see why.”

“She’s sick-,”

“She’s resting-,”

Ace and Deuce whipped around and stared at each other before trying again. The Leech twins watched the first years with unconcealed amusement.

“She’s on her period-,”

“She’s dead-,”

Ace slapped the back of Deuce’s head and held his hands up in question. “She’s _dead_?!”

“It’s the first thing that came to mind!” Deuce defended himself, slapping Ace on the shoulder in retaliation.

Jade blinked at the scene unfolding before him with rapt attention. The younger teens were working awfully hard to try and hide something from them both, which only piqued his interest. He desperately wanted to watch them struggle more but figured things would get ugly if Floyd got bored, so he spoke up.

“Well if she’s just resting, we’ll go up and make this quick-,”

“No!” Ace shouted, a little too loud and a little too abruptly, only confirming Jade’s suspicions. The scale that kept his own interest at bay tipped against their favor with that one simple word.

“What are you hiding, crab?” Floyd’s singsong voice dipped low; his golden eye almost glowing as he got menacingly close. The smell of the salt of the Octavinelle dorm on his skin made Ace’s stomach drop as he remembered his brief stint of indentured servitude at the lounge.

“Hiding?” Ace crossed his arms over his chest in defense. “I’m not hiding anything.”

“Then why can’t you meet his eyes?” Jade asked, his voice innocent in contrast to his words.

“He’s too damn close, I’m uncomfortable.” Ace responded, leaning away as Floyd leaned in even further.

A brief moment of silence passed between the boys before Floyd stood to his full height. “You guys are being weird, I’m going upstairs.” He blew a raspberry and shoved Deuce out of the way lightly, earning a _‘hey’_ , before taking the stairs two at a time.

Deuce scrambled up the stairs behind him, quickly followed by Ace. Jade took up the rear at a comfortable pace, driven by curiosity.

By the time Jade had reached the bedroom, Floyd had laid himself out next to Adele. He propped himself up on his elbow as his other hand squished her cheeks together, earning an obscenity shouted by Grim. The first years’ helpless eyes landed on Jade as he stepped through the doorway.

“Maybe the mackerel was right,” Floyd said. His tone was starting to fall, but his hand moved Adele’s jaw like a cheap ventriloquist, “Rainbowfish might be dead.”

“Stop that!” Deuce demanded. A red tint crawled up his neck to dust the tips of his cheeks and ears.

“She’s not dead, you overgrown fish boy!” Grim spat from the floor. Floyd rolled his eyes, ignoring the cat monster.

“Will you tell us what’s going on now?” Jade’s smile left no room for discussion.

Ace forced out a sigh before he explained the situation. Floyd _ooh’d_ and _ahh’d_ at the appropriate times and the inappropriate times as Ace spoke.

“So, what you’re saying is that Vil Schoenheit knocked Adele out with a powerful sleeping potion and now he’s trying to wake her up without alerting the headmaster?” Jade summarized, tenting his fingertips together in thought. Ace nodded. “Why didn’t he think to come to Azul for a deal? He would surely wake her up for a small price.”

“Ugh,” Ace groaned, “Yeah, I’m so sure.”

“He’d probably ask that Adele stay in Octavinelle for the rest of her life, no thank you!” Grim stomped his tiny paws on the ground in protest.

“Hey, shut up,” Floyd piped up with a sickening smile, “Have you guys tried true love’s first kiss?”

The air seemed to solidify around Ace’s shoulders hearing his own joke coming out of Floyd’s toothy grin. Deuce’s head whipped around, his eyes the size of dinner plates.

“Don’t you dare-,” Before Deuce could finish his sentence, Floyd had his lips pressed against Adele’s in a brief and surprisingly chaste kiss. Time seemed to stop in the room. Deuce’s heart stuttered in his chest and his stomach fell. Floyd pulled away just as quickly as he came, looking unmoved though only Adele would’ve been able to see the change in his eyes. His smile returned as Ace came flying at the bed to separate them.

“Aww, it looks like I’m not her true love,” Floyd shrugged as Ace pulled him off the bed. “What a bummer!”

“Why would you think that would work!?” Deuce yelled with a face as red as Riddle’s. “How could you kiss a woman while she’s asleep!?”

Floyd leaned away from the shouting first year, unperturbed. “Yeesh. Well, Jade, how about you see if you’re her true love?”

In his mind’s eye, Jade could see Azul’s irritation and confusion as he tried desperately to deny his feelings for the girl. That was all the encouragement he needed so he crossed the floor and kissed her while Floyd corralled the three troublemakers. Jade’s kiss was just like Floyd’s if a bit more on the mark. He pulled back to study her sleeping face once more.

“Hmm, I was so sure it would work.” Jade stood to his full height with a shrug.

“What is going on here?” Vil’s stern voice practically echoed from the doorway.

Ace and Deuce froze in their spots, growing slack in Floyd’s arms as Vil appeared in the room. His lilac gaze cut through the silence like a knife, assessing the situation and taking a deep breath. Floyd dropped the two first years, who crumpled to the floor in a heap next to Grim.

“I leave you alone for all but ten minutes and you invite people into Ramshackle like I told you not to and proceed to assault a young woman who cannot give consent,” Vil’s tone grew harsher as he spoke. He turned towards the twins, pointing at them. “You two, get out of here and tell no one.”

“Oh, how threatening.” Floyd’s voice lilted as he dipped out of the door with Jade in tow.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” Jade said politely before leaving.

As the twins made their descent, the sound of Vil’s lecture droning on in the background, the atmosphere began to change. Jade felt the familiar shift in his brother’s mood and the cool way he set his shoulders.

“Do you think Azul will ink when he hears what we’ve done?” Jade’s smirk slid into place, knowing how to get Floyd to smile. A moment of silence passed between the twins once they reached the bottom step.

“Are you worried about her?” Jade asked as he opened the door, leaving a path for the cold air to travel. Floyd gave the smallest shrug, standing still in the doorway.

“No,” Floyd sounded irritated, but resolute. “Azul can fix this.”

_Day 2_

After sending Grim to stay in Heartslabyul with the annoying freshman duo until further notice, Vil had the peace and quiet he needed to think. Plan after plan burst forth from his mind and each and every one failed upon beginning. Halfway through the day, he began to worry that Adele would become dehydrated if left to her own devices, Vil called the only person he knew that could detect such a thing.

“So, she doesn’t need medical attention?” Vil asked as Ortho floated above her bed, checking her vitals.

Something on Ortho’s computerized body let out a shrill beep that caused Vil to jump in his seat, but his face remained unchanging as Ortho continued to study Adele.

“Nope!” Ortho’s eye crinkled in his manner of smiling. “Due to the magic of the potion, she’ll be able to stay satiated for up to two weeks.”

“Right.” Vil nodded at him and crossed his arms over his chest in thought. “Thank you, Ortho.”

Idia’s communication device floated nearby as the shut-in admired the trinkets that lived in Adele’s room. Through the small, floating tablet, Idia watched Adele’s sleeping face and held his breath.

“It’s weird to see her like this…” He muttered, just loud enough for Vil to hear. The barest trace of a smirk coerced Vil’s lips into motion.

“What? Asleep?” He asked, his tone teasing. Idia sputtered, his blush practically radiating from behind the small, faceless screen. Despite his situation, Vil found himself snorting uncharacteristically.

“Urk! No!” Idia was quick to respond. “I just mean, that she’s, uh…you know, usually so friendly and dancing around, making noise. It’s strange to see her so…peaceful.”

Vil went silent, his face falling as his thoughts turned towards Adele’s prone form. It’s true that she was almost always going one way or the other, preparing for something, or doing something for someone else with that sleepy smile on her face. And he had taken it away. Vil’s stomach dropped and remorse rattled in his chest.

He remained distracted and silent, even as he walked Ortho and Idia to the door to escort them out. Lost to the myriad ideas running through his mind, Vil leaned heavily against the threshold. The frosty air played with his hair and uniform, sending the soothing images of his home in the distant Land of Pyroxene. His heart and soul drifted to the safety of his parent’s halls, far from the impending anguish of his own mistakes. It wasn’t until he overheard the younger Shroud brother’s shrill voice reciting the script agreed upon that Vil glanced up to see Kalim and Jamil stopped short from coming up the walkway.

“She’s not feeling well?” Kalim’s face had fallen once the lie slipped from Ortho’s mechanical soundbox.

“I’m afraid so,” Ortho said, his voice giving away his worry. “Vil’s in there mixing her a potion for her.”

“In that case, she’s in good hands!” Kalim gave a sad wave and motioned for Jamil, who stared at the upstairs windows with the faintest hint of curiosity, to follow after him. “We sure missed her in today’s dance practice, but we can wait until she’s better to see her smile! Right, Jamil?”

Vil shut the door on their voices and drew the curtains before his heart. Turning slowly, he rested his forehead against the chilled wood of the door as his fists unfurled, closing his eyes, and quietly begging to be taken home once more. His mind, deeply rooted in the present, refused to budge. So, with one final deep breath, Vil righted himself, adjusted his uniform, and slowly ascended the stairs to return to work. It does not do to dwell.

_Day 3_

Vil, irritated at being bothered for the third day in a row, answered the Ramshackle door with a scowl on his perfect face. Well, normally perfect, he mentally scolded. He had been too distracted to do his skincare routine this morning and his skin itched with the third day of untrimmed blonde facial hair that grew like weeds. He knew he must look like an exhausted version of his father and the thought was both comforting and annoying. Vil was met with an equally as irritated, yet surprised, scowl by none other than Leona Kingscholar. In his hands he held what looked to be a quilt.

“Schoenheit?” Leona’s eyebrows shot up upon seeing the Pommefiore prefect in Ramshackle and looking a little disheveled at that. He stepped into the foyer cautiously and folded his arms across his chest.

“Kingscholar,” Vil nodded as he shut the door, resisting the self-conscious urge to scratch the prickly blonde hairs on his cheeks in front of Leona. “To what do I owe the pleasure. It’s not every day you leave the warmth of your savannah.”

“I came to give the herbivore her blanket back,” Leona rolled his eyes when Vil’s eyebrow ticked up a hair. “I like to nap; she likes to bother me.”

“Very well,” Vil all but rolled his own eyes and reached for the quilt. “I’ll bring it up to her.”

Leon pulled back, just out of Vil’s reach and sniffed the air. “You smell musty.” He smirked, “that’s new for you.”

A furious tint dusted Vil’s cheeks and his eye struggled not to twitch in irritation. “Give me the blanket, Kingscholar.”

“Yikes, you’re really desperate to get rid of me.” Leona’s smirk faltered. The sight of the perfect Vil Schoenheit slowly coming undone before him, surprisingly, gave him less satisfaction than he thought it would. The distinct scent of desperation radiated off the model. Desperation and something else awfully familiar.

Leona’s ears flicked backwards, his tail twitching low behind his legs as his eyes ghosted over the stairwell. “Where’s the herbivore?”

“She’s upstairs resting,” Vil answered tightly. With knowing eyes, Leona watching Vil’s perfect façade fall back into place. He fixed his hair, inhaled deeply, and his eyes went blank. All traces of the irritation and desperation from before were replaced with passive interest.

“If she’s not awake, then why are you here?” Leona’s eyebrow shot up in question. “And why do you smell like her?”

Tense silence settled between the men as Vil weighed his options. The idea of letting another person bear witness to his mistake left him feeling hollow, but it could be nice to have another perspective from an intelligent source. Despite this thought, Vil’s pride thrashed in his chest and he clenched his fists.

“Oh?” Vil quirked his own brow. “Why are you taking such a defensive stance, Kingscholar?” Vil was now leading this dance and Leona’s irritation grew as Vil continued, “Did her time in Savanaclaw have you endeared?”

Leona turned on his heel and with a flick of his tail, he had started towards the door, tossing the blanket on the nearby settee. “Forget it, I don’t care if you’re fooling around with her or whatever it is you’re doing here. Just give it to her when she wakes up and tell her to stop bothering me.” He said before throwing open the door and disappearing behind its thick exterior.

The door shut with a loud click that jolted Vil from his spot despite watching it happen. Vil allowed his posture to slump briefly as he ran a hand down his unshorn cheek. As interesting as the lion’s reactions were, and how tasty the gossip would’ve been, he had to get back to work.

Grabbing the quilted blanket from the settee as he went, Vil ascended the stairs. Dread slowed his movements. Just that one interaction had his head spinning and his eyelids drooping. How many hours had he stayed by her bedside, trying potion after potion, spell after spell? After many days, the tiny room felt as comfortable as his own. Every nook had been thoroughly stared at and every cranny blankly examined as if something were to change. But nothing ever did. The wallpaper was still peeling, the floor still bowed, and Adele still slept. Same as it ever was.

Vil spread the blanket across her feet before taking his usual seat and grabbing his potion kit. “Are you going to be cooperative and wake up today, Adelaide?”

A pregnant silence was his answer. The sound of glass bottles and trinkets clinking together filled the room, his only audience the dorm’s ghosts who liked to watch him work as they worried above the bed themselves.

“Really Adelaide, it’s unladylike to remain silent when spoken to,” Vil muttered to himself as he measured ingredients and mixed them together in his miniature cauldron. “You simply must work on those manners if you’re ever to chase success.”

_Day 4_

The fourth day passed almost without incident. Almost.

Rook had come to Ramshackle to offer his assistance, which Vil had reluctantly taken. With a few flicks from his pen and a well-placed incantation, the huntsman had cleaned Adele’s sheets, hair, and body. He had taken care to wipe down the surfaces of the kitchen and get some sweeping done around the foyer when he wasn’t handing Vil the proper ingredients or fetching new spell books.

The sun was high in the sky when Vil heard the unmistakable sound of Neige’s whistling, familiar to him after long days of working together on set. The almost perfect melody floated in through the open upstairs window and as the boy stepped daintily up the creaky porch steps. His knock was light and airy as someone would expect from the petit young man. This all served only to incense Vil further.

“I shall get it,” Rook motioned to Vil to stay seated as he left the room.

If Neige was surprised to see Rook opening the door he didn’t show it. His natural smile sat beautifully on his perfect lips, his large brown eyes shimmering brilliantly even under the shade of the porch. Bewitched and endeared, Rook couldn’t help but stare.

“Um, haha, I’m here to see Miss Adele?” Neige chuckled awkwardly under Rook’s intense gaze. Somehow, in the back of his mind, it felt like he was dealing with a predator. _Who could be worse than the people in showbusiness, though?_ Neige thought bemused.

Rook blinked slowly, like a cat watching a mouse skitter unknowingly within its range. “I’m afraid Lady Adelaide is indisposed right now. She woke up feeling ill and didn’t have the strength to call you ahead of time to cancel any plans.”

Rook spun his story wonderfully, watching intently as Neige’s perfectly shaped eyebrows knitted together with the most intrinsic look of alarm.

“Oh, poor Adele,” Neige’s hand flew to his cheek in a way that would look cartoonish had it been done by anyone else. “We had a tea party planned, so I got worried when she didn’t show up, but her health is more important. Is she okay?”

“Vil is helping her,” Rook assured him.

“Vil really is a kind soul,” Neige gushed, sighing dreamily, “First he makes her a sleeping potion to help her get rest and now he’s nursing her back to health!”

Neige’s eyes widened once more, “Is Vil sweet on her?”

Rook’s smile grew wider at the thought. How lovely it would be to see the school’s most beautiful and enticing student with someone so natural. “It’s not my place to say.”

“I can see why he would want to keep it a secret with such a large following, but I saw the way he looked at her last week. Oh, poor Vil, I couldn’t imagine not being able to talk about the one you love!” Neige pouted, “but I guess I’m rambling.”

“No, do go on,” Rook encouraged him, his own heart swelling from the imagery. Neige chuckled once more.

“I’ll be on my way,” He said with a wave. “Please tell her I stopped by and hope she’s doing well!”

Vil appeared with a huff as Rook closed the door. “What did he want?”

“He was here to see _la belle au bois dormant_.” Rook leveled his gaze with Vil’s shrewd eyes. His black liner was smudged around the edges and his lips were verging on chapped. Rook had not ever seen Vil look this way.

“Of course, he was,” Vil groaned, “Everyone and their mother wishes to see Adelaide! _Oh, poor Adele! Send her my regards! Poor dear, I hope she gets better_! _Won’t somebody save her from that villain Vil Schoenheit?_ ”

“Bitter exhaustion is an interesting shade on you, _Roi du Poison._ ” Rook smirked, earning a pointed glare and a huff. Rook continued, gentler. “Perhaps you should go back to Pommefiore and rest for a while.”

Vil’s eyebrows pulled together faster than he could stop them, his gaze lingering at the top of the stairs. “I need to finish-,”

“Adelaide is not going anywhere, her condition is stable, and you will only make more mistakes as you go.” Rook insisted.

Vil weighed his options in the patient silence Rook afforded him but found the pull of Pommefiore’s comforts too alluring to pass on. Adele would be fine for one night, and if she woke before he arrived the next morning, then all could be forgiven anyway.

“I am loath to admit that you’re right.” Vil conceded with a sigh. Rook grabbed his coat from the rack and urged him forward. 

“Excellent,” Rook helped his dorm head slip into his coat. “You know, you never did tell me what monsieur Ashengrotto had to say when he came by,” Rook directed the conversation as the two young men left the empty dorm.

“One would have thought they were at the opera with his level of melodrama,” Vil shook his head, the chilly winter afternoon air clearing his head of the agitation of his situation. The two continued their gossip down the path, Ramshackle casting its looming shadows over their steps as they went. In their wake, the eerie silence settled like dust in the halls of Ramshackle dorm had even the ghosts on edge.

_Day 5_

_Midnight_

The stars, twinkling in their ever-changing inky night sky, became the only unintentional witness to the next visitor to Ramshackle dorm.

Fireflies, completely out of season, began to appear slowly. They danced low around the tombstones, making way for the heavy crunch of the snow under Malleus Draconia’s large boots. Despite the biting cold, Malleus was sweating under his many layers. In his unsteady hand, his fiddled with a single red rose.

Adele’s words from their first meeting had troubled him so. _A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet…_ If a rose were not called a rose, it would still be red. It would still bloom and flourish and bear its sweet scent. Only under society’s careful watch was it deemed a rose, and he, Malleus Draconia. Tonight, he would tell her who he was.

Many days his mind wandered what she would think when she found him out, when his charade was over, and he was stripped bare. Would she be uncomfortable? Would she run away and demand never to speak with him again out of fear? Or, his heart swelled, would she smile at him with kind understanding as she always did? Would she offer her hand, an olive branch from her soul to his? His heart fluttered shyly in his chest, giddy with the possibility of acceptance.

His excitement paled when he noticed there were no lights on inside, an uncommon phenomenon given his muse’s unusual sleeping habits. Many nights they spent awake together, sitting in the foyer, sipping hot tea, and discussing everything that came to mind. One night, the ghosts joined them and regaled them with wonderful tales of years gone by before putting a song on the gramophone and swaying in the open air.

 _Perhaps she was finally able to rest_ , Malleus thought. Though he longed to speak with her, he felt it impertinent to allow her this social reprieve. He found his way to the porch and turning the rose in his fingers, a silent sigh left his lips. Bending at the waist, Malleus allowed the rose to fall to the welcome mat and as he started back down the path and began to manifest the magic needed to teleport, he prayed to anything that would listen that she knew the rose would be from him.

_Day 6_

“Adelaide, you simple girl, do you know the whole damn student body?” Vil muttered venomously.

Despite having a little bit of rest and going through his various routines for some semblance of normalcy, Vil still felt he looked wrong. His makeup was patchy and didn’t cover the dark spots under his eyes, his lipstick caught on the dead, chapped skin of his lips, and his hair wouldn’t fall correctly no matter what he did. This only added fuel to the fire.

As he all but stomped down the rickety steps and into the foyer, he spotted Rook gazing out the window, which was nothing new, however his raised eyebrows and grimace were something to behold. Guilt from his previous outburst sunk Vil’s stomach and he swallowed thickly.

“What-,”

Before Vil could say anything else, the front door opened wide, slamming against the wall beside it as multiple bodies came rushing in. Ace held Grim as he and Deuce marched right up to the dorm head himself. Beside them stood Neige, looking perturbed and just as worried.

They all began speaking at once.

_“Has she woken up yet?”_

_“I can’t live with these idiots anymore, I’m coming home!”_

_“When are you going to find the cure?!”_

_“Vil what did you do!?”_

Vil clenched his fists, the sharp edges of his nails breaking the skin of his palms. Abandoning his usual regal tone out of frustration, Vil found himself shouting “Silence!”.

Despite the world falling apart around him, his commanding presence still demanded respect and order. The younger boys, and Grim, all shut their mouths. Even the dorm itself waited with bated breath for Vil’s next words.

“Do you not think I am working on it?” Vil asked. Deuce made a move to speak, but Vil stared him down. “Shut your mouth.”

Deuce obeyed; eyes wide.

“For the last week, do you not think that I have slaved away for answers to wake her up?” Vil began to pace back and forth across the foyer floor like an incensed dragon, the cold wind from the open door nipping at his heels. In his frenzy, Vil failed to notice Rook approaching him until he felt the weight of his hand on his shoulder. None too gently, Vil slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me!”

Neige began to approach, “Vil, is it true that you put her to sleep?”

“As if it weren’t obvious enough; yes, I made a mistake,” Vil gave a sardonic laugh, his perfect façade crumbling in front of a live audience.

“B-but you didn’t mean to, right?” Neige’s perfect face gave way to the fear and suspicion that fluttered in his chest.

Vil’s eye twitched under the strain of resisting the urge to turn around and lay the kid out flat. “In a moment of weakness, I slipped up and my incompetence may have costed Adelaide her life.”

“There’s…there’s got to be a way to wake her up, has _everyone_ tried?” Neige stumbled over his words, never having seen his senior in this shape before.

Indignation flared inside his chest, embarrassment howling in his ears. “ _I’ve_ tried everything! I am convinced she is as good as dead.”

“That’s enough, Vil!” Neige looked up at Vil from behind his lashes with incredulity, sounding desperately hurt. “There’s got to be a way.”

“There _is_ no way.” Vil muttered, eyes wide staring down at his bloodied palms. Time seemed to slow down as tendrils of inky blackness lapped at the edge of his vision, painting the scarlet of his palm with night. Just a quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Vil blinked once, then twice as the world began to spin around him. “She’s going to sleep forever.”

“Vil don’t give up yet! You’re tired, maybe there’s something we can do _together_?” Neige winced as soon as Vil rounded on him.

“Together?” Vil tilted his head condescendingly. “If it weren’t for _you_ , none of this would’ve ever happened!”

“Me?” Neige slowly approached and moved to grab Vil’s wrist. “Vil, you aren’t yourself!”

“I said don’t touch me!” Vil grabbed Neige by the collar, sending Ace, Deuce, and Rook flying forward to grapple at both parties in an attempt to pull them apart. Vil raised his hand high in the air, poised to strike when a soft, yet familiar voice called from the top of the stairs and stilled his motions.

“Vil, is that you?” She called, her voice still clinging to her dreams.

The soft creak of the stairs under her dainty feet was the only sound amidst the now silent dorm. Vil let go of Neige, practically pushing him over in his haste to distance himself as relief flooded his system and cold shame racked his body.

Slowly Adele came into view, her long legs appearing from under the fabric of her nightgown, her long braid tousled by sleep, and finally her face, wide awake and curious, a look Vil had almost all but forgotten. The closer she got, the farther away Vil retreated, staring into his battered hands, and shaking almost imperceptibly.

The world faded away into a muted blur with Adele being the sole focus. Every pair of eyes watched her descent as if she walked on the air itself. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the blinds to run its golden fingers through the chocolate strands of her hair and kiss her cheeks as she rounded the steps and landed in the foyer. With a shiver she ran her hands up and down her arms for warmth as another chilly breeze rolled through.

“My, we’re letting the cold in!” She said to no one before reaching for the front door and shutting it. The click of the latch popped the seal and all at once the magic was broken. She scanned the room and took in her guests. “Good morning, or…” She glanced out the window and chuckled to herself, “afternoon, as it were. I’m afraid I’m underdressed.” She motioned for her nightgown, a light flush dusting her cheeks.

Tears streamed down Deuce’s face as both he and Ace ran to scoop her up in their arms. Adele let out a squeak of surprise as her feet were lifted from the ground. The world spun around her as Ace jostled her to and fro. Her laugh came faster than she could stop it, a birdsong bursting from her chest to join the celebratory noises of the boys surrounding her.

“What’s gotten into you both?” Adele asks, resting both hands atop Ace’s shoulders when he set her down. “You’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in years. Why, Deuce, you’re even crying!”

She turned from the redhead to cup Deuce’s cheeks. Her skin was warm and welcome as she wiped his tears, only urging Deuce to lean into her touch and spill fresh ones. He spoke with her in hushed tones as Grim impatiently circled her legs, rubbing against her ankles and waiting for his turn.

“We just missed you, space case.” Ace smiled at her and her eyebrows knitted together.

“What do you mean, I just saw you both yesterday.” Her head tilted to the side in question, her eyes slowly taking in the other people in the room. “Neige, Rook, and that _was_ Vil I heard. What are you all doing here?”

“We, uh, came to check up on you!” Neige smiled hesitantly. His eyes were large and tear-filled, as if he had been frightened. “Isn’t that right, Vil?”

“What’s going on, Vil?” Adele asked.

Vil took a deep breath to steady himself, closing his eyes and allowing the room to settle around him. His pride twinged at the fact that he had almost lost control completely. Neige gave him a little nudge in the ribs and smiled weakly when he met Vil’s eyes. His smile spoke of forgiveness, a truce. _How charitable_ , Vil thought.

“Adelaide, we must speak.” Vil slid the cuff of his sleeve over his palm to shield the sight from her perceptive gaze as he motioned towards her kitchen. “Alone, please.”

“I don’t trust you with him!” Grim set his paw down defiantly, but Adele quieted him with a gentle pat between his fuzzy ears.

“Vil won’t hurt me, Grim.” Adele smiled and Vil’s stomach churned but she followed him, nonetheless.

Sitting together at the large dining table, Vil knew then what it felt like to be a nonbeliever sitting in church. Guilt overtook his senses and before he could stop himself, he explained everything. He spoke about the potion and the week she’d lost to it. He told her about all her visitors, being sure to avoid the part about the twin’s involvement and his temper tantrums. As he continued on, her eyes softened just as he knew they would, and she reached across the table to grab his hand for support. Vil winced slightly and pulled away when her fingers grazed the blood crusted indents his manicure left on his palm.

A tense silence fell like curtains between them, but slowly, the way one approaches a frightened animal, Adele reached out again, her eyes asking for permission. Vil allowed her to take his hand in hers and flip it over.

“You’ve gone through so much on my behalf, Vil,” Adele smiled apologetically, her fingers ghosting the sides of his palm where the skin remained unmarred. Gently scooting out of her chair, Adele padded out of the dining room and out of his sight for a moment, only to return with a first aid kit in tow. Too exhausted to move, Vil simply watched as she pulled out the chair next to him, sat down, and began working. In his numb state, Vil barely felt the sting of the antiseptic wipes as she gently dabbed at the wounds.

“While I slept,” Adele spoke softly as if she was scared to disrupt the new and comfortable quiet surrounding them. “I dreamt of a sleeping maiden being visited by a handsome prince from a far-off kingdom with a dashing smile. He stayed with her until she was awoken. Isn’t that ironic?”

“Quite so.” Vil, swept up in her dreamy voice, found himself speaking gently in a hushed tone. “Adelaide, I…apologize for my mistake.”

“Apology accepted. I slept well, didn’t I?” She asked, finally meeting his gaze. Lavender and lilac sizing one another up. “Aside from whatever make-up work I have to do for class, I would say that your potion was a success.”

“Then you’re delusional,” he said. A sliver of a smile rested on his lips. “But thank you.”

It was true that the almost ever-present dark circles under her eyes had all but disappeared, leaving her hooded gaze looking much less sleep deprived. Her olive undertone, once sallow and gaunt, looked brighter and had a slight angelic glow to it. _That must’ve been the dried unicorn horn I dusted over her…_ Vil found his thoughts drifting.

“Alright, time’s up!” Ace announced as he sauntered into the dining room, followed quickly by Deuce and Neige.

“You really are an impatient bunch, aren’t you?” Vil sighed but motioned for them to come closer.

Neige was first to reach Adele, sweeping her hands up in his while Ace spoke at Vil about the upcoming festival. “Miss Adele, your friends have told me everything. How you’re stuck here and can’t use magic, and then Vil just told us all about how his potion put you to sleep for a week and that’s why you missed our tea party, and, and, and,” Neige took a deep breath before continuing.

“From what I’ve heard, you’ve been in danger at every turn with overblots, having your dorm taken away from you, which is…already falling apart over your head,” he worried his lip as he paused. “It might be forward of me, but I think you’d be safer if you came to live with us at Royal Sword Academy.”

A hush fell over the room. Every head snapped in their direction.

Suddenly shy under the attention, Neige continued. “I just think you would be happier with us. I could even introduce you to my friends! Rielle, Beau, Arvid and Einar-,”

“I’m honored, Neige, really,” Adele held up a hand to stop the boy in his tracks. The thought of leaving Ramshackle and her friends behind constricted her heart. She offered the rest of the group a gentle smile. “But I’m happier than I could ever be here.”

“You…are?” Neige’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Nights Raven College, with all its faults, is my home now.” A fond look settled over her features, earning a similar smile from Neige, though apologetic.

“I can’t say that I’m not disappointed,” he started, “but, I can see how much it means to you. Can I at least ask that you come to visit?”

“I would be delighted.”

~*~

Before too long, Nights Raven College fell into its usual routine. With Adele awake and moving, it seemed like almost nothing had happened. No one spoke of Vil’s outburst as work continued for the festival.

Neige came to visit about once a week to run through preparations and speak with his new friends. Rumors state that in his hotel room, Neige received a large basket filled with expensive skincare and healthy snacks. A simple card with sprawling cursive read, _“I apologize.”_

“Alright, great work.” Vil spoke over the din of the music and chatter in the dance hall. Sweat poured from his skin just the same as everyone else in the room. “Let’s take five, then we’ll run that same number again.”

A groan sounded from the group as one by one, each boy sat on the ground somewhere in the space. Some stretched while others milled about while Adele and Grim passed around water bottles. A rare, yet tired, smile sat on Vil’s lips as he met Adele’s gaze from across the room. She offered him a wave and he nodded in quiet appreciation. Somehow, through the trauma of the last week, Vil had found the answer to his burning question.

Adele’s beauty was borne from her humanity. Her understanding ran deeper than the roots of a mountain and her willpower even more so. Without realizing it, Vil found himself pulled under by the current of whatever nonmagic spell she wove and before his very eyes, the ugly duckling became a swan.

The sound of a shutter and a flash going off startled Vil as his blinked in the aftermath. “Adelaide, what do you think you’re doing?” he strolled across the hall to see her smiling at a developing picture. “May I remind you that you’re not to post pictures of our rehearsals anywhere-,”

“Oh, I’m not going to post it anywhere, this one’s for me,” Adele handed it over, “I just thought you looked so handsome here, like the prince from my dream! Isn’t that ironic?”

Cheeks flushed red from exertion and sweat dripping down his face, the picture was a candid look at Vil being nothing but a teenage boy. His smile was wide and proud, speaking of accomplishment.

“Quite so.” Feeling his heart beat for a reason outside the dance, Vil felt lucky that she wouldn’t be able to tell the pink dusting his cheeks from embarrassment or excessive movement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter took years off my life, but there's a lot to be said here:  
> 1) Arvid and Einar belong to @soapallo on Tumblr! And Beau belongs to @wilted3sunflowers also on Tumblr! Thank you so much for letting me use your boys' names! Maybe I can write a full chapter including them when we get more RSA content? I think it'd be super fun!! 👀  
> 2) god damn I can't wait for the rest of chapter 5 to come out so I can feel bad about my characterization of both neige AND vil!!!  
> 3) I wanted to include Azul's interaction so damn bad but the chapter was getting so long!  
> 4) originally Vil was going to be at Ramshackle when Malleus showed up and they both would look at each other like, "ah yes...I see what this would imply."  
> 5) I love kalim and I'm working on his chapter now! get ready for some ~emochenal~ kalim moments! 
> 
> If you guys would like to see a specific character, please let me know! I also just want to hear what you guys think about the way I write the guys, cause boy howdy does it take me FOREVER. Anyway, thank you guys so so so much for reading, I really appreciate it! <3


	13. Belonging

The night sky yawned, stretching for as wide as the eye could see. Everywhere Adele looked, stars littered the darkness in their multitude. The wind whipped her dark hair this way and that as she reached out to touch a passing cloud, her heart hammering in her chest, pupils blown wide with excitement.

All it took was a few words during Vargas’s class for Kalim to offer the exquisite view of the heavens from atop his magic flying carpet.

_She watched the boys zooming above the fields on their broomsticks with a dreamy expression. Her classmates soared high, twisted and turning below the blue sky. Ace sped through a cloud, bursting through the other side completely soaked and laughing._

_“What’s the face for, Adele?” Kalim, having landed nearby to grab some water, approached curiously._

_“I was thinking how lovely it would be to fly,” Adele answered. Not for the first time since arriving in Twisted Wonderland, Adele found herself wishing she had magic. Many simple, daily problems could be easily solved if she could make mops move on their own or feel the wind through her hair from above the clouds._

_Kalim’s eyes drifted to the skies in thought before his face lit up with his usual smile. “I can make that happen!”_

Kalim’s laugh urged Adele to sit up straight as the carpet dipped and veered side to side. He beamed at her, taking in the sight of her white-knuckling the edge of the carpet. “Are you having fun?” He called over the roar of the wind.

Adele nodded as the skies began to clear around them, allowing for smooth sailing. Kalim slowed the carpet to a soothing gait, weightless and magical. Clouds hung low, strewn about the night like large pillows and the stars glimmered from their perch. Joy rang in her ears and her breath hitched at the sight.

“This is like a dream.” Adele found herself saying.

Kalim hummed in agreement and crossed his legs, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched both the girl in front of him and the stars passing by above them. “It’s nice to share it with someone.”

“Does Jamil never come with you?” Adele asked, smoothing her skirts around her folded legs to fight the chill of the night breeze. “I thought you both had made up after the winter break?”

Kalim exhaled with a laugh that tapered off towards the end. The noise was one of defeat and regret. “Not since before winter break.” A smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “I don’t want to bother him.”

Adele pursed her lips but remained silent as she watched Kalim’s eyes grow heavy with sadness. Slowly, he eyes her from the side and his smile returns genuinely.

“You look like my grandmother!” he says lightly changing the subject. “Whenever I was bad, she’d look at me the way you are now until I confessed.”

Adele smiled at him, though her mind still lingered over the subject of Jamil. The two boys were clearly on speaking terms, though she knew nothing would be as it once was, their friendship, or lack thereof, was worrying. Personally, Adele knew she would never forget the sound of Jamil’s distorted laughter and she could still feel her bruised tailbone from where she landed in the desert all those weeks ago.

Unwilling to broach that particular subject, Adele asked, “Were you close?”

“As close as I could get with thirty-something other kids roaming around,” He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck in an uncharacteristic display of self-deprecation. “Though, sometimes, when she would tell stories it felt like the world fell away and she was talking directly to me.”

“Grandmothers are very good about that,” Adele smiled upwards as though her memories were being projected onto the night sky for all to see.

“Were you close to your grandmother back home?” Kalim asked.

A thousand words sat on the tip of Adele’s tongue, her thoughts racing to play years’ worth of memories as they rushed to the forefront of her mind. “She and my grandfather raised me,” she replied simply, a fond smile sitting on her lip.

“Oh wow!” Kalim’s eyes lit up. “What happened to your parents? Do you have any siblings?”

Kalim watched as Adele winced almost imperceptibly before gracing him with a smile. “My father passed away and my mom was…busy.” She picked at the edge of the blanket absentmindedly. “I have a younger brother.”

Picking up on the awkward situation his own mouth had gotten him into, Kalim grimaced. Adele tried to brush it off, but he picked the conversation right back up to where it should’ve been.

“I can’t imagine how quiet that house must have been with so few people!” He grinned, “It was so noisy in my home, you’d think it was market day in the living room!”

“You must’ve had a colorful childhood.” Adele’s face became dreamy as she conjured images of a faraway land with silks, large meals, and many, many children! The roaring din over a feast and dancing afterward. How wonderfully warm it all seemed in her head.

“Did your grandmother ever tell riddles?” Kalim asks, staring out into the vast night sky, almost pondering. “Maybe it’s just something about grandmothers from The Land of Hot Sands.”

Thinking back, Adele tried to remember if Grandma Josephine ever shared anything involving riddles and found herself coming up short. Grandma Josephine’s stories only ever involved childhood vacations and how things were handled in the “good old days”. While unlike what Kalim was looking for, they were precious memories none the less.

“Hmm, not that I remember. My grandmother usually read me fairytales and told me stories about when she was a child.” Adele replied thoughtfully. Kalim nodded along with her.

Silence settled between the two. Not an awkward, uncomfortable silence, but one of companionable understanding. The world around the magic carpet seemed to drift by endlessly, glittering, and all-encompassing with nothing to guide them but the moon.

Suddenly, Kalim speaks again. “There are two kings on a throne, if one is absent, the other is present.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a riddle!” Kalim offers her a large smile, “There are two kings on a throne, if one is absent, the other is present. What are they?”

Adele looks thoughtful for a moment, humming low as she tried to rack her brain. Moments pass in silence before she speaks up once more. “Inspiration and motivation!”

“What?” Kalim asked, cocking his head to one side in question.

“The throne is your mind, and both are never present at the same time.” She explained.

“Wow! That’s an amazing answer!!” Kalim found himself laughing, “I’m afraid the answer is much simpler.”

“What is it?” Adele tilted her head as Kalim pointed up towards the sky.

“The sun and the moon.” He responded with a simple flourish of his hand.

Adele’s eyes widen then crinkle into crescent moons as her smile grows. “How wonderful!” She said dreamily.

“You know, when I was a child, I saw a scene in a movie where a couple danced together without ever touching.” She explained and shifted to bring her knees up to her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, she continued. “I thought perhaps the moon and the sun were forlorn lovers and chose to dance without ever touching.”

Kalim stills as he takes in her words. Wonder flickers in the flames of his carmine eyes, delving into the world she’s brought to mind. A man in gold and a woman in white, dancing together in their finery. Their silks fan out as they twirl, creating a mirage in the dazzling light.

“That’s so romantic!” Kalim almost swooned. His smile grew sad as he thought about it a little harder. Despite the fanfare and reckless abandon to their dance, their eyes gaze longingly for the other without getting any closer, like two of the same ends of a magnet. Too alike to ever be together. “But so lonely…”

Kalim’s thoughts drifted. Loneliness was a familiar face from his childhood and onward; it’s incredible how alone one can find themselves in a crowded room. Up until a few weeks ago, he had Jamil to combat the sinking feeling, and now he felt nothing but burdensome when he so much as looked in Jamil’s direction.

As his mind wandered, he found himself wonder once again if he even had a place to belong at the college his parents paid his way to. The thought alone made his insides burn with shame

“Kalim, are you okay?” Adele’s soft hand on his shoulder, shook him out of his reverie. Guilt pooled in his stomach and he pulled away gently before she could feel the goosebumps erupting over his skin.

“Ah! Sorry, Adele! I didn’t mean to bring you up here only to get you down,” he chuckles dryly, “Why don’t we look for constellations?” He allowed his mind to go blank as he babbled. “You don’t know all the constellations of this world, do you?”

“Why do you change the subject?” Adele asked plainly.

“What do you mean, do you not want to look at the stars?” Kalim’s voice sounded nervous even to his own ears.

“Of course, I do, but if there’s something bothering you, I’d like to hear about it.” She continued. “I care about what you have to say, Kalim.”

With his heart thundering in his chest and a flush high on his cheekbones, Kalim felt the tension slip from his shoulders. He shook his head as a laugh, light as a butterfly’s wing, fell from his lips.

“You’re really something, you know that?” Kalim’s eyes drifted back to the stars. “It sounds silly after hearing you say something like that, but I was wondering if I truly belonged here.”

Adele remained silent, waiting for him to continue. And after a moment, he did.

“Jamil was accepted to NRC long before I had even considered coming here.” He explained. “He left home and I remember my parents looking astonished, and before you know it, my acceptance letter appeared. I never even applied…”

The breeze sailed by with a gentle whistle, chilling them both as he continued. “I’m not a smart guy, Adele, but I know my parents must have made a… _donation_ to the school in order for me to be here. I know Jamil resents me for it, and I know it’s caused a strain in the Scarabia dorm.”

Kalim closed his eyes and sighed loudly with a noise that sounded almost like a whine before laying back and stretching his arms out towards the endless night sky. “It’s too much to think about if I’m being honest. It just gets me down in the dumps, but thanks for listening.”

Another companionable silence passed them by before Adele, very gingerly so as not to slip from the carpet and fall to her demise, lay down next to him to watch as the stars passed above and besides them. She mimicked him and stretched her own hands out, palms facing out.

“If it’s any consolation,” Adele offered, “from someone who _isn’t_ supposed to be here; I’m glad you are.”

With a blush, Kalim’s usual smile settled on his lips and he intertwined their outstretched hands. A silent, but effective _thank you._ His hands were warm and comforting to the cold skin of her own. Kalim brought their hands down to nestle between their bodies and pointed with the opposite hand towards a collective group of stars.

“Right there is _As-Sarattan_ ,” He explained. “You see how it looks like a round crab? The story goes-,” Kalim continued to explain the mythology behind the cluster, a brilliant twinkle in his eyes. Adele turned her head to gaze as he spoke and found herself enthralled, not only with his words, but the adorable look on his face when he was sharing his passions.

Adele silently wondered if he realized just how precious he was to the school and to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the wait and for the chapter being so short this time around! Kalim is hard to write for. My sister said that it's because he's simple and there's complexity in simplicity and I think she's right! 
> 
> from my research As-Sarattan is the Arabic name for the Cancer constellation! If I'm wrong, I'll go jump in a lake. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading!! Jamil's chapter will be next and then I'm thinking about maybe making a Cater chapter next? I'm not sure.
> 
> And before I go, I just want to say BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!! I started writing Adele's journey from the very beginning of the game! I'm very excited about this! This doesn't mean that I won't continue to post here, but you will most likely notice things from these oneshots appearing in the chapters of that story!  
> If you're interested in reading that, then here's the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659138/chapters/70255272
> 
> And as always if you want to come hang out on social media with me, my twitter is @abbo_ani and my twst tumblr is @usaginotwst
> 
> Again, thank you guys for reading! I appreciate it!


	14. The Best Things Happen While Your Dancing

Boisterous music filled the air in the gymnasium and reverberated off the walls. A distinct beat and record scratch caught Adele’s ear as she entered through the large, heavy doors. The familiar plastic smell of sports equipment and sweat welcomed her like an awkward acquaintance.

“Hip hop?” Grim seemed to scrunch up his little nose in question from his perch on her shoulder as they neared the court.

“Maybe a warmup?” Adele shared thoughtfully as she spotted the basketball club towards the middle of the floor. Though…they didn’t look like they were playing their sport.

Jamil’s body popped on beat in a hypnotic, almost robotic fashion before he stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow and motioned for Ace and Floyd. “So, if you just trust yourself and plant your feet, you won’t fall.”

All 6 feet and 2 inches of Floyd attempted to follow Jamil’s instructions, his body missing the timing just so. He landed, popping and locking his body the way Jamil showed him, but only laughed as he started to stumble. Ace stood by and continued to watch as he chugged from a water bottle. His eyes drifted across the empty gymnasium until he spotted Adele.

“Oi, space case!” Ace called her over. She waved and began her approach. “What’re you doing here?”

Adele blinked once and then twice before she remembered the book she clutched to her chest. Extending her arm, she offered it. “You left your textbook at Ramshackle.”

“Oh shit,” Ace took it from her and sighed with relief. “I actually need this for next period, thanks. Trein would’ve totally chewed me out.”

“Rainbowfish!” Floyd called, running full speed towards the two and shoving Ace to the side in his pursuit. Grim got out of dodge as fast as he could, the flames of his ears rising as he all but hissed at the sudden intrusion. Grim quickly climbed to the top of a stack of workout mats and curled up, muttered in annoyance.

Slick with sweat, Floyd wrapped both arms around Adele and brought her to his chest. She grimaced at the feeling of sweat through the fabric of her blouse and the twang of the stink of teenage boy engulfing her.

“Please, Floyd,” a light laugh left her lips, “you’re drenched!”

“Aww, c’mon~!” Floyd whined. He started to sway them both back and forth. Ace simply laughed at her, showing no signs of helping.

“Gross,” Jamil sighed. At least he was bothering her instead of him for the moment.

Waving him off, Floyd rested his chin atop her dark hair. “Sea Snake is teaching us how to dance like him today!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Adele beamed at the Scarabia vice dorm head from under Floyd’s chin. “I had no idea you were such a great dancer, Jamil!”

“Yes well.” Heat tinted Jamil’s cheeks and ears. “We can’t break dance or play basketball if you’re holding onto Adele, Floyd. I guess we’re done for today.”

“You’re no fun.” Floyd huffed and spun Adele out of his arms. Dizzily, she stumbled into Ace, who righted her with a light slap on her back.

“Say, Rainbowfish,” Floyd turned his intense gaze on her once more. “You’re a good dancer too, why don’t you show us that dance that you were trying to teach me the other day at the lounge?”

Adele’s eyebrows knitted together in remembrance before the thought came back. “Oh, well, I don’t exactly have any tap shoes, Floyd, I can’t-,”

“No, no, the _other_ one!” Floyd waved her on, bordering irritation that she was being so dense.

“Well, I’d need a partner.”

“Okay so take Sea Snake,” Floyd pushed the shorter teen towards her. He stumbled forward with a harsh look in his eyes.

“What?” Jamil looked back at him and shook his head. “I don’t know what dance she’s talking about and -,”

“C’mon, Sea Snake, it’ll be fun!” Floyd whined.

Adele offered Jamil a smile and her hand. “Come to think of it, I haven’t had a good partner in ages.”

“Besides, it’s something Kalim can’t do.” Ace’s knowing smirk kicked Jamil’s pride.

Kalim could dance, sure, but the merchant’s prodigal son’s knowledge didn’t extend far. This would be another addition to the myriad skills Jamil possessed that surpass Kalim’s. So, with a smirk of his own Jamil agreed. In one swift movement, he gently took Adele’s outstretched hand and his spot on the gym-turned-dancefloor.

“You’ll need to stay on the balls of your feet,” Adele explained, gently counting as she began to move. She counted her _tah-ri-ple_ steps in time as the balls of her feet squeaked against the polished grain of the gym floor.

Step by slow step Jamil followed Adele’s directions, noting the way she twisted and turned. Her skirt flounced and lifted as she spun, drawing his eye to the slope of her long legs as she showed him a particular move.

“Jamil?” Her soft voice brought him out of his reverie to lock eyes with her. The slight chill of embarrassment twinged his gut as he waved her away. She nodded with a gentle smile and began to move again, counting her steps lightly. Mentally checking himself, Jamil’s eyes darted back to the movement of her feet.

After a quick water break and a refresher, Ace found a song with similar enough cadence and rhythm to the ones from Adele’s world. Adele’s heart constricted in her chest at the memory of all the songs she would possibly never hear again.

“Alright, you’ve got the moves and the music, let’s go!” Floyd called from the sidelines, shaking her from her trance. Jamil stood in front of her, his face unreadable as he went over the steps in his head.

“Don’t think too much about it, just feel the music,” She offers as they joined hands and the music started. Using her weight as leverage, he leaned back and they both began to move their feet this way and that in time to the upbeat tune playing from Ace’s speakers.

It was awkward and slow at first, Jamil being so used to the heavy weight in his heels required to move his body the way he normally did, but soon he could see how Adele had been right. The music spurred his movements on, suddenly feeling light on his feet as they came up to tempo.

Once he was comfortable enough to trust his feet not to get away from him, Jamil spared a glance at his dance partner. A smile graced her features as she lolled her head back and relished in the music. Her usual headband had fallen from its perch, forgotten somewhere on the ground around them. Jamil watched as she kicked her legs on time and twisted to the beat. A carefree laugh ripped from Adele’s throat, a raucous, extremely teenaged sound that was foreign to Jamil and their audience. It was as if she had been born to dance like this.

Suddenly her head snapped back up, her violet eyes glittering with mirth, “Do you want to try a spin now?” She asked.

Jamil nodded as if compelled by the eager flush on her face. However ready Jamil thought he was, it took him by surprise as she gently pulled him in closer by their conjoined hands and spun him around. A deep red flush dusted his cheeks, and a shiver ran up his spin as her hands ghosted the ridges of his shoulder blades.

Stormy eyes met lavender as she twirled around him. Weaving in and out of his arms, leaving him hot and cold with her touch, Adele conducted magic in time with the downbeat. His skin tingled where her featherlight fingertips grazed him and he very quickly decided that partner dancing was something he could get used to.

Lost in their own little world, the dance continued until the song ended. Both panting from exertion, Adele and Jamil never broke eye contact. They both began at the same time, speaking over one another.

“That was-,”

“That was incredible!” Adele gushed, grabbing the sides of her skirt and pulling it up as she recreated a movement. “When you did this with your feet, that was amazing, Jamil! I didn’t teach you that!”

“Well, I just…felt the music.” He shrugged, trying to avoid her adoring gaze.

“I’ve never had a dance partner like you before!” Adele beamed at him and Jamil stood up a bit straighter at the compliment.

“Thank you. It was fun.” He offered and risked meeting her eyes. Once again, he was captivated by the life inside that was never apparent until now. Curiosity and tenderness, though he’d never admit it, lead his gaze to linger longer than was appropriate.

“Gross, break it up.” Ace came up, throwing towels at each of them to wipe the sweat quickly cooling from their brows. He offered Adele her headband with an incredulous expression. She had never looked at Deuce or him like that, and they were her _best friends_!

 _What gives?_ Ace thinks in annoyance.

“So, it goes like this?” Floyd caught Adele’s attention from Ace and tried to mimic her previous movements. She nodded along in time to his feet with a smile.

“You’re doing great,” She encouraged him while clapping along. “Would you care to be my partner next time, Floyd?”

“Why wait?” Floyd moved to scoop her off of her feet, but Ace had the tail of his shirt in a vice grip, stopping the older teen just short of reaching her.

“C’mon, we gotta cleanup so we can get to class on time.” Ace spoke with a sour tone.

“There’s always next time, Floyd!” Adele assured him. Ace tsked and tossed another towel her way, covering her head.

“Go take a shower before you stink up your potions class!” He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed as she removed the towel, and the world came back into view.

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” She shook her head good-naturedly. Ace headed towards the locker room with Floyd bounding after him after shooting her a toothy smile and a wave, leaving her alone with Jamil.

Before she could leave, Jamil spoke up.

“Thank you for teaching me today.” His voice was even as he spoke. If she hadn’t just been dancing with him, Adele wouldn’t have believed he had just exerted any effort at all. A small smile graced his lips, lighting up his face. “It was nice learning something new.”

“You really like to dance, don’t you?” She asked fondly.

Jamil hadn’t thought too much of the reason, but somewhere along his childhood, dancing had become his release. Frustration at his position, anger at Kalim, and everything in between could be solved by moving his body in time to the beat of some song on the radio. The feeling of his muscles straining under him as he pushed himself to the limit every time kept him coming back like an addict.

As his eyes drifted over her face, he took in her dark bangs matted to her face with sweat, her lips parted just so with the rise and fall of her chest as she worked on regulating her breathing. The image burned itself onto his eyes and he blinked a couple of times to shake himself free.

“Yeah.” He replied lamely.

“I do too,” She beamed at him. “You know, a famous author from my world once wrote, ‘To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.’”

Jamil’s heart thudded so loudly in his chest that he worried she’d be able to hear it as she scooped up the sleeping Grim and said her goodbyes. He groaned and brought the heels of his palms to his eyes. He rubbed profusely and sighed. This was just another feeling he would have to sort out through his usual, rhythmic coping mechanism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry this chapter is so short, school has been kicking my ass! I'll probably go back and edit it some more because it just...isn't my best work I don't think. However, this is only part 1 to this chapter, there's going to be a part 2!! <3
> 
> I gotta be honest, I wasn't too sure what to do with Jamil, but honestly I thought this was so cute. The idea of him bonding with someone over dance is very tasty to me! 
> 
> The quote at the end is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen  
> and the title is from one of my all time favorite dance scenes in a movie, "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" from White Christmas
> 
> Also, the dancing that I'm imagining the boys trying in the beginning is like -> https://youtu.be/PeQ4y-E8xj4  
> while the dancing that Adele is doing is closer to a boogie woogie!! -> https://youtu.be/lqXRnEcTPmY


	15. The Gift of Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamil is at odds with his feelings for Adele given his position in regards to Kalim and his family, but he chooses to do what makes him happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think something inside me snapped during that week long snow storm and not having power. I said fuck it, I'm writing actual romance. So you get pining AND romance in this chapter. Jamil stans come get y'all juice!!  
> NO EDITING WE DIE LIKE MEN AND POST ON THE SAME NIGHT OF COMPLETION! *fucking dies*

_“Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost.”_  
― Khalil Gibran

Jamil knew he had a problem the moment Adele appeared in his dreams.

Much like the real thing, Dream Adele was all smiles and long legs as she wordlessly beckoned him to come closer and sway with her to the music that only she could hear. Unlike the real Adele, her touches carried a sense of urgency, as sense of heat and – curse his unconscious mind— _desire_.

Ever since that dream, Jamil worked tirelessly to put space between them, however the devil works harder, or so the saying goes. It seemed that wherever he went, Adele was never too far behind.

_“How wonderful, I always enjoy working with you, Jamil!” Adele had admitted when they were assigned a task together. He inwardly groaned at the innocent smile toying on her lips, but his face remained impassive._

_“Likewise.”_

One day, as he walked to class, he ran into Adele and Grim on their way to do god-knows-what. She offered him a wave and one of her damned smiles, and suddenly it felt far too hot in the empty hallway as the dreams resurfaced. The image of bodies pulled flush together and fingers gracefully leaving a trail of raised gooseflesh in their wake made his breath hitch in his throat. A frustrated flush crawled up his neck and sweat began to bead on his skin under the weight of her concerned gaze.

Before she could get a word in, Jamil pushed past her and disappeared down the hall.

“Rude,” Grim sniffed, but Jamil made sure to avoid sticking around long enough to hear Adele’s reply.

Jamil knew the monster’s statement would be met with a concerned scolding, however a part of him hoped she would think him rude and never want to…what? Dance with him and allow the memory to sear his brain and taint his thoughts? No. Jamil wanted to move and sway in time with her more than anything. To feel her touch as they glided along the floor as one together again was an itch that he longed to scratch. Though even admitting it to himself caused his flush to deepen as he neared his next class.

Hearing voices further along the hall, Jamil quickly ducked into the nearest empty classroom to catch his breath and cool off. In the still quiet of the room, Jamil’s true feelings had room to grow and shudder. He didn’t want Adele to get his hopes up for something he could never truly have.

To love and be loved in return was the closest thing to the wind in the trees and the sun in the sky. With his family buried under the Al-Asim name, there was no way he could drag someone else into his life, his servitude. It wouldn’t be fair to usurp her freedom to stop the longing in his heart.

The realization constricted his heart and balled his fists. He had already told Kalim he wouldn’t back down, and yet the thought of his family froze Jamil in his tracks. The potential attraction to Adele was troublesome in and of itself, but if he allowed it to blossom—if he dared to give an inch without it being taken for a mile—and a relationship started, how could he repay her with the cursed gift of serving the Al-Asim family? She would give him adoration, affection, and her time, and what did he have to offer in return? A lifetime career of dimming her own flame to stoke the fires of someone else’s in The Land of Hot Sands.

Jamil wouldn’t wish his experience on his worst enemy—well, maybe it would sober Kalim up a little bit, but not Adele. Though, he thought, she had a caring, servile nature that would be highly sought after in his homeland. He shook his head. What the hell was he even thinking?

Jamil groaned and pushed the heels of his palms to his eyes until lights started to dance on the backs of his eyelids. He couldn’t start thinking of others’ lives in terms of subservience; it would make him just as bad as the adults back home.

These thoughts solidified his previous reasoning. He would have to avoid allowing himself to get closer to Adele for her sake and for his. He would have to chalk his fixation up to his fluctuating hormones. Brush it off as a simple infatuation with the only female on campus. He would simply block it out and endure as he always did, letting the simmering of his blood ground him.

~

Careful hands expertly prepared and sliced various vegetables and sprinkled a healthy heaping of spices, adding to the already colorful array. Gently, Jamil added these to his pan and covered it while bringing the heat down to simmer. While he cooked, he sighed to himself. The feeling of being watched had hung heavy around his shoulders for the last hour.

Jamil tried to ignore her the way he had been, but her newfound closeness with Kalim left her near Scarabia, and nearer to him, more often than not. Jamil couldn’t help the way his soul seemed to nag at him to get to the bottom of their relationship, but he gritted his teeth and then blew his bangs out of his face with an irritated puff. 

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to stare?” Jamil reminded as he turned to face her. Adele sat at the nearby table with a book open to a page about potion making, but her eyes were trained on him. She watched him cross his arms over his chest with a concerned look on her face.

“Well sure, plenty of people have. But you look tense today,” she spoke as softly as usual. Jamil rolled his eyes. “You have a scowl on your face, is something upsetting you?”

How could he look her in the face and tell her that _she_ was the problem? Or at least a part of it. The root of it all laid curled up in his center like a seed buried under layer upon layer of hardened earth and trepidation had stolen his shovel.

In lieu of a solid answer, Jamil tutted and turned away once more. “That’s just my face.”

As he tried to distract himself with the food in his pan, he couldn’t help but feel naked under her gaze. It was a new and upsetting feeling, he had to admit. Adele was an unsettling and unwanted addition to his usual dinner preparations. Although Jamil knew _that_ was a lie, it’s what he had to tell himself to avoid the rush of memories from his dreams.

“You’ve been avoiding me since last week,” Adele pointed out.

“Maybe it seems that way to you,” He grunted.

“Did dancing make you shy?” She asked with a playful giggle. “I know I can be a handsy partner at times.”

Heat blossomed across the high plains of his cheekbones as he faced her, only to find she had moved. She was closer now, leaning her hip on the counter. The faintest playful smile settled on her lips as she watched him. With the tailoring of the male uniform, she looked small and feminine. She must have just pressed her uniform slacks that morning, he noted as his gaze traveled down the seam.

Jamil cleared his throat and stood his ground. “You were fine, I just…” he trailed off, turning his attention to the food simmering on the stove once more. It should be fine for another few minutes at that temp, but if-,

“You just?” Her voice brought him away from the food. His heart thundered in his chest and he resisted the urge to groan in frustration.

“Leave me alone, Adelaide,” He warned finally.

Incredulous, Adele’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Jamil, please tell me if I did something wrong.”

“I…you…ugh.” Jamil ran his hands down his face and took a deep breath. It was taking everything in his power not to take her in his arms right then and there. How desperately he wanted to feel the warmth of her skin on his, the smell of her—old books and gardenias—to surround him and drown his senses. In her embrace, he believed he could forget the life that fate and family had chosen for him. Only, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

Jamil’s arms didn’t move on their own like in the stories. He didn’t swoop her up only to hear her giggles ringing like bells and feel her breaths on his neck as she nuzzled closer. He simply sighed, muttering a line that felt even more cheesy than it sounded to his burning ears.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“I want to, though,” Adele replied and placed a hand on his bare arm, handling him as gently as one would a fragile spring bloom. Between the palm of her hand and the skin of his bicep, there was a jolt like electricity shooting throughout his body. Finally, he met her gaze. “Please, help me understand you.”

A chill waltzed up his spine. The adults in his life had always told him, with no shortage of pity in their eyes that he had to understand why the world was the way that it was, why he was always to act lesser than Kalim to protect his image. Then why? Why did this girl look at him with such empathy and care? She, who continues to show compassion to him even though he threw her halfway across the desert in his rage and stares too long at her legs when she dances. Jamil’s mouth went dry and it became hard to look her in the eyes.

“I know only part from the things you said while…” Adele trailed off, not wanting to speak of the ill directly, “but you are in Night’s Raven Academy right now, not the Land of Hot Sands. You have the opportunity to choose what you want to do here and how you want to spend your time. So, choose.”

Choose?

Jamil closed his eyes and took another deep breath, inhaling the aroma of the food cooking behind him and the lofty scent of the girl in front of him. In his mind’s eye he could see the steps, could feel her hand in his as they swept across a large dance hall. His parents, Kalim and the rest of the Al-Asim family were nowhere to be found. The world was empty sans the two of bodies moving perfectly in sync as if they were born to dance together.

When he opened his eyes once more, he moved before he could stop himself. _Perhaps the stories were right after all._

“Dance with me,” Jamil spoke with authority, but was not unkind as he led her away from the stovetop and in the open area nearest the table.

He pressed their bodies flush against one another and began to sway as her free hand settled on his shoulder. His body sang at the contact and his heart began to pick up a steady pace. The Land of Hot Sands and his family be damned, Jamil decided. He gave in fully to the tender cocktail of emotion swirling in his body and making him jittery.

“We don’t have any music,” she found herself whispering.

“We don’t need any.” Jamil assured as they twisted and turned.

“How will we keep time?” She asked, pulling away slightly to look up at him.

Jamil’s gaze softened as he lifted a shaky hand to the back of her head where he gently led her to rest against his shoulder. With the warmth from his hand burning a hole through the fabric at her waist, Adele allowed her mind to wander. In her mind’s eye she could see herself wearing chiffon that brushed against her legs soft and airy as if she were wearing nothing at all. The thought alone made her shudder under his touch.

“Listen…” he took a deep breath and Adele closed her eyes, allowing his soothing voice to lull her. “Listen and understand me.”

Soft and low, she could detect the beating of his heart reverberating against her chest, or was that her own? Rhythmically, the two sounds melded and became one. Like an internal, intimate metronome, their hearts beat together in time, leading their steps through the tile on the kitchen.

Two as one, they moved almost soundlessly for what seemed like minutes, but it could’ve been years. It had been everything Jamil had pictured and more, the very real feeling of her body moving in time with his. Though, he knew this wouldn’t last.

This moment, this resplendent selfish split second he spent for himself would come to an end. Once they had their fill, she would leave, and he would have to let her walk away because it was the right thing to do. Tears pricked the backs of Jamil’s eyes before he quickly steeled his face, not allowing himself to grieve while he was supposed to be enjoying himself.

For the time being she was his, securely in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder as they swayed to the tandem beat of their hearts. He would enjoy it while it lasted, expressing himself the only way he knew how.

“I think I get it,” Adele’s voice lilted through the silence.

Jamil hummed in response; the noise sounded almost like a purr from her spot nestled in the crook of his neck. She smiled against his skin before pressed a kiss to his pulse, making him swallow.

“Anytime you need to dance like this, find me,” she said, pressing another kiss where her words had travelled. “I’ll always be your partner.”

If he heard her, the only indication was the tightening of his grip on her waist, which she took to be an indication of understanding.

_“I have given you the opportunity to choose so choose whether to die on my chest or on the pages of my poetry.”_ – Nizar Qabbani

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the fuck, right????  
> I literally adore soft Jamil, but it's literally SO HARD to decipher what he'd be like in a romantic sense. HOWEVER, I do believe that once he finds someone who understands that he won't always be great with his words and is more of an action-based kind of guy, he'll be relatively sappy while making fun of you for being sappy too. 
> 
> Anyway, I love you guys, you're very sexy and I'm very tired. Thank you for all your continued support and comments! I may not respond to all of them, but I read them and reread them, and then REREAD them AGAIN because I have brain damage and they stroke my ego.
> 
> I have another Vil chapter cooking in my wretched little rat brain, but I also have a Cater chapter in the works. I'm holding off on my Idia one because it's mainly based in headcanons for his past and more of his personality, however if you guys are hungry for it, I can release it early!


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